HC Deb 19 April 1989 vol 151 cc173-4W
Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he has any plans to switch the beef special premium from its present administration to on-farm administration.

Mr. Donald Thompson

The beef special premium scheme has been in operation for just over two weeks. I have no plans to change its administration in Great Britain at present. However, as my right hon. Friend announced on 6 March we shall be reviewing the operation of the scheme with my colleagues in other Departments to assess the practicability and cost-effectiveness of moving to an on-farm operation in due course.

Mrs. Ray Michie

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why he established the beef special premium as an off-farm administration.

Mr. Donald Thompson

We have had only a very short time in which to make arrangements for the operation of the beef special premium scheme in Great Britain. As my right hon. Friend announced on 6 March, we concluded that in the first instance it was desirable to build on the arrangements then in place for the operation of the beef variable premium scheme and thus to operate the scheme at live markets and abbatoirs. This method of operation has the further advantage of enabling producers to apply for premium under the new scheme in much the same way and at the same marketing stage as they like to apply for beef variable premium. In practice, the transition to the new arrangements has been effective relatively smoothly, largely in consequence of this decision.