§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the extension of the period under which grants may be available to agricultural and horticultural co-operatives.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerSection 67 of the Agriculture Act 1967 enables grants to be made towards the carrying out of proposals designed to organise, promote, encourage, develop or co-ordinate any form of co-operation in agriculture or horticulture. The period laid down by the Act for the submission of applications for grant is ten years but there is provision for this to be extended. Three-year extensions of the grants scheme were made in 1977 and 1980 and the Government have decided, subject to parliamentary approval, to a further extension of three years from May 1983. Accordingly a draft extension order has been laid before the House today.