§ Mr. Whitlockasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now make an announcement about the support arrangements for potatoes from the 1979 crop and subsequent years.
§ Mr. John SilkinIt is not possible yet to say what arrangements will apply for the 1979 crop. Negotiations are continuing in Brussels on a common regime for potatoes and it is too early to know whether agreement will be reached in time for the 1979 crop. Furthermore, we are still awaiting the judgment of the European Court on the maintenance of our controls on the import of maincrop potatoes. Meanwhile, it is important that plantings should be close to the target area announced last August and I hope that individual growers will continue to be guided by the quota areas notified to them by the Board.
In the longer term, the Government's objective is to ensure that the arrangements which apply will enable the United Kingdom to remain broadly self-sufficient in maincrop potatoes.
§ Mr. Whitlockasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is satisfied with the measures taken to support the 1978 potato crop; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe measures introduced by the Potato Marketing Board with my agreement on 8 August and 12 December 1978 were modelled on the first and second contract arrangements envisaged in the joint National Farmers Unions/Potato Marketing Board proposals for a price stabilisation scheme. Under the first contract, growers were invited to offer 10 per cent. of their expected production to the Board. About 6,100 growers took up this invitation, and some offered additional quantities. This enabled the Board to contract to purchase about 450,000 tonnes, of which the major part will be sold for stockfeed. Under the second contract, the Board is continuing to receive offers and, taken together, the two operations will enable the Board to ensure that it has contracted for the full surplus expected from the 1978 crop.
610WI have said previously that, subject to further consideration of their financial implications, I regard the NFU/PMB proposals as providing, in principle, a satisfactory basis for the United Kingdom in the long term, and that I hope it will be possible to accommodate the arrangements within an acceptable EEC regime for potatoes. Meanwhile, my officials will be discussing with the PMB, in the light of the experience gained from the operation of the arrangements for the 1978 crop, whether any improvements can be made in the detailed arrangements for the future, in particular so as to encourage a bigger uptake of the first contracts.