§ 16. Sir John Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effect of an imposition of quotas on cereal production.
§ Mr. GummerIn my view cereal quotas would stifle initiative, strike hardest at the most efficient producer, lead to pressure for higher support prices and pose enormous administrative difficulties.
§ 25. Mrs. Clwydasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many producers are currently liable to the cereals co-responsibility levy.
§ Mr. GummerProducers are intended to bear the impact of the levy, but are not themselves normally liable to pay it, as it is collected at the stage of processing, export, or sale into intervention.
26. Mr. Jacksonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in introducing a scheme to divert land from cereals production.
§ Mr. GummerOur ideas on the diversion of land from cereals production stimulated a constructive discussion among Community Agriculture Ministers at the informal Council meeting in September. Since then useful detailed discussions have taken place with officials of the Commission and other member states. We will continue to encourage the Commission to come forward with proposals for a scheme that can be applied to the whole Community.
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§ 28. Mr. Cockeramasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what reaction there has been to his proposals to divert land from cereals production.
§ Mr. GummerOur ideas on cereals land diversion received a constructive reception from other Agriculture Ministers in September and we are pursuing with the Commission the points made in discussion. Representations on our ideas have been received from many different sources.
§ 32. Mr. Hardyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to discourage criminal or improper activity in regard to the storage of surplus cereals.
§ Mr. GummerInquiries are made into the reliability of prospective storekeepers. Their contractual responsibilities are closely prescribed and enforced and there is regular monitoring of their financial status and of the stocks they hold.
41. Mr. Andy Stewartasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy towards the introduction of any scheme of quotas for cereals.
§ Mr. GummerI remain totally opposed to the introduction of any scheme of quotas for cereals.
Total productivity, labour productivity and average earnings (in real terms) in agriculture—1983 to 1985 Year Total productivity in agriculture1 (United Kingdom) Labour productivity in agriculture2 (United Kingdom) Average weekly earnings of all hired men in agriculture in real terms (Great Britain)3 Average hourly earnings of all hired men in agriculture in real terms (Great Britain)3 Index 1983=100 Per cent. change over previous year Index 1983=100 Per cent. change over previous year Index 1983=100 Per cent. change over previous year Index 1983=100 Per cent. change over previous year 1983 100 -2 100 -4 100 +6 100 +5 1984 108 8 117 +17 100 0 101 +1 1985 (fc)108 (fc)0 (fc)114 (fc)-3 103 +3 103 +2 1The measure of total productivity compares changes in the volume of gross agricultural output with those in the volume of productive inputs employed, namely labour, capital items and materials inputs. 2Labour productivity is defined as gross agricultural product at constant prices per whole-time man equivalent. The total number of man-equivalents is calculated from the numbers of farmers, partners, directors, and their spouses, salaried managers and full-time, part-time and seasonal or casual workers recorded at the June census, weighted according to their estimated annual hours worked. Source: Table 24 of the White Paper of the "Annual Review of Agriculture 1986".
3Average weekly and hourly earnings of all hired men working full-time in agriculture.
Source: Employment Gazette, July 1986.