§ Mr. John Wellsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now announce the result of his quinquennial review of the Apple and Pear Development Council as required under the Industrial Organisation and Development Act 1947.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI have consulted the Apple and Pear Development Council, the National Farmers Union, the National Union of Agricultural and Allied Workers and the Transport and General Workers Union about the future of the council and am grateful for the views which they have expressed. I have also taken note of the recent survey of growers' views in which 55 per cent of the 82 per cent. of the growers who voted—representing 65 per cent. of the acreage—declared themselves in favour of the continuation of the council.
In the light of these consultations and of the advice received I have decided that the Apple and Pear Development Council 190W should continue in being for a further period as prescribed in the legislation.
As regards the future operations of the council, I shall now be embarking on urgent consultations with representative interests to establish whether the role of the councilis fully adapted to present-day needs and whether its efficacy could be improved by reducing its membership. I also wish to hear the views on these and other issues of the ad hoc working group under the chairmanship of Lord Selborne, which, I understand, will shortly be making a report. Changes in the structure or functions of the council would require an amendment to the Apple and Pear Development Council Order 1966, and in order to allow time for the necessary consultations to take place I have asked members of the council, whose terms of appointment would normally end on 6 February 1980, to continue to serve for a further three months until 6 May 1980.