§ Mr. Adleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assistance will be provided to enable the Potato Marketing Board to meet its commitments in respect of support buying operations in the current season.
§ Mr. JoplingThe Government are making loans of up to £7.4 million to enable the Potato Marketing Board to meet its current commitments. Parliamentary approval for this new service will be sought in a supplementary supply estimate for Class III, Vote 2. Pending that approval, provision is being met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund. This expenditure is being charged against the 1983-84 contingency reserve and there is therefore no increase in the planning total of public expenditure.
The Government are reviewing the board's financial position with a view to deciding on appropriate longer term arrangements.