§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what proposals he has to implement the recommendation of the Price Commission in its report on the prices, costs and margins in the production and distribution of compound feedingstuffs for cattle, sheep and pigs that the Agricultural Development Advisory Service and farmers' representatives should consider means of providing farmers with information from independent test results to help to assess the comparative merits of compounds;
(2) what discussions he proposes to hold, with whom and when, on the observation in the Price Commission report on the prices, costs and margins in the production and distribution of 624W compound feedingstuff for cattle, pigs and poultry, that co-operative societies, whose market share is well below their equivalents in the EEC, need finance for expansion to increase their competitive position;
(3) what changes he proposes to make in the advice offered by the Agriculture Development Advisory Service to farmers to encourage farmers to consider further the alternative of home-mixing their own compound feedingstuffs and the possible advantages, as recommended in the Price Commission report on the prices, costs and margins in the production and distribution of compound feedingstuffs for cattle, pigs and poultry.
§ Mr. John SilkinDiscussion with all interested parties on the conclusions of the Price Commission's report, and the action needed to follow-up those conclusions, are being held. When those discussions are complete and everyone interested has had a reasonable chance to comment, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection will make a statement.