Agriculture and Horticulture (Hansard, 31 October 1984)

§ Mr. Jopling

Further to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Mr. Murphy), on 17 May 1984, at column261, the Government have been responsible for, or played a part in, the following achievements.

The Heads of Government of the Community meeting at Fontainebleau in June agreed that the net expenditure on agricultural markets should grow less fast than the rate of growth of own resources of the Community. This is a major step forward in providing stricter controls on the costs of the CAP. Agreement was also reached on a solution to the problem of the imbalance of the United Kingdom's contribution to the European Community's budget; other member states will now have an increased interest in reaching rational expenditure decisions as they will pay a fairer contribution.

In the field of international trade we have both in 1981 and again this year successfully negotiated continued special import arrangements for New Zealand butter. The current agreement covers the five years 1984–1988, the import quantities being fixed for the first three years, and contains provision for a decision on continued access after 1112W 1988. This agreement honours the Community's commitment not to deprive New Zealand of export owlets for butter which are essential to it.

The Community reached agreement in July on a range of measures designed to improve the financial control of olive oil production aid. The agreed regulations substantially increase control over Community expenditure in this area which has previously caused widespread concern.

Following the quinquennial review of the Apple and Pear Development Council, we decided that it should continue in being to build or its past record of achievement in improving the marketing of apples and pears.

Since May 1979 up to September this year, the average annual increase in the food prices index has, at 7.2 per cent. been below the increase in the all items retail price index of 9.8 per cent. The current annual rate of increase of the food prices index is3.8 per cent.

We are among the leaders in Europe in building into our farm structures legislation the requirement for compatibility between agriculture and conservation. Under our capital grant scheme we already go further than the present Community structures directives require in assisting conservation measures related to agricultural investment. In the current review of the EC farm structures directives we are pressing for an amendment to the proposed new regulation which will allow encouragement to be given in conservationally sensitive areas to farming methods sympathetic to the environment.

We have announced extra grants for hedges, shelter belts and traditional walls in the less favoured areas; and ended the last vestiges of grant aid for hedge removals.

We have enacted important legislation amending the Agricultural Holdings Act; this will give new stimulus to the tenanted sector in England and Wales.

We continue to give advice and encouragement to farmers to adopt all reasonable measures to ensure that practices on the farm do not give rise to pollution.

The revised and strengthened model byelaws published in March have resulted in fewer incidents of careless straw and stubble burning at this year's harvest.

The Government have continued to support substantial programmes of high priority research and development topics concerning agriculture, including horticulture. A new Priorities Board for research and development in agriculture and food has been appointed to advise the United Kingdom Agriculture Ministers and the chairman of the Agricultural and Food Research Council on priorities for research and development in agriculture and food and on the allocation of research and development budgets.

In the field of animal welfare considerable progress has been made in the Aujeszky's disease control and eradication scheme towards eliminating this disease from the national herd.

In July 1979, we appointed the independent Farm Animal Welfare Council — FAWC — to keep under review the welfare of all farm animals and to advise Agriculture Ministers. With the Council's advice, and with Parliament's approval, new welfare codes for cattle and pigs have been introduced. Parliament passed the Animal Health and Welfare Act this year which enables us, inter alia, to give effect to FAWC's recommendations on the welfare of poultry at slaughter. Internationally, we have secured the adoption of a new EC directive which 1113W provides for tighter enforcement of the rules governing welfare in international transit, and have introduced appropriate supporting legislation.

In November 1981, we were able to declare Great Britain to be virtually free of brucellosis, a serious disease of cattle and of man. This represented the successful culmination of a 10-year area eradication campaign.

We have introduced arrangements to finance from public funds veterinary costs in meat plants which are eligible to prduce meat for export, thereby enabling our meat industry to compete on more equal terms with its competitors overseas. We have set up a review of the system of inspection of red meat in Great Britain.

I certainly recognise the contribution made by agriculture and horticulture to the national economy. Since the United Kingdom joined the European Community, agricultural output has grown by 14 per cent. by volume; productivity per person has risen by 49 per cent.; agricultural exports have risen by 77 per cent.; and self-sufficiency in temperate foods has risen by 24 per cent. We shall continue to foster an economic and competitive agricultural and horticulturalindustry in the interests of the industry and the nation as a whole.