§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make a statement on the arrangements for allocation of sheep quota from the national reserve.
§ Sir Hector MonroThe arrangements of applying to the national reserve of sheep quota were announced by the Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department on Tuesday 7 December. Application forms are now available from the Department's area offices for producers in the first two categories of those eligible for an allocation from the reserve. This will not affect the position of producers in the other categories, arrangements for whom will be announced later.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he proposes to take to expedite the administrative procedures for allocation of sheep quota from the national reserve when the necessary orders are laid.
§ Sir Hector MonroThe Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department has invited producers falling within the first two categories of the seven categories of eligible producer to submit their applications now. This will enable the Department to speed up the processing of applications and permit allocations to be made as quickly as possible without affecting the position of producers in the other categories.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what advice he gives to sheep producers awaiting allocations of quota from the national reserve about the short-term financial problems they face as a result of the delayed allocation of quota.
§ Sir Hector MonroI advise them that the legislation relating to the national reserve has been laid and certain producers can therefore now apply for an allocation of quota from the reserve; that payment of the advance of348W sheep annual premium to these producers will be made as soon as possible after quota has been allocated from the reserve; and that this is expected to take place in about two months' time.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will set up a tribunal with powers to award sheep quota allocations to hear cases of genuine hardship for sheep producers denied allocation of quota from the national reserve.
§ Sir Hector MonroThe legislation governing the allocation of quota from the national reserve sets out precisely the definition of the categories of producer eligible to apply to the reserve. There is no scope for making discretionary allocations to producers falling outwith those categories. I therefore have no plans to set up a tribunal.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many recorded phone messages his Department has received from sheep producers seeking information about allocation of quota from the national reserve.
§ Sir Hector MonroThe Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department has received several hundred telephone calls from producers on a variety of subjects relating to sheep quotas. It is not possible to identify separately the number concerned specifically with allocations from the national reserve or recorded messages from other telephone calls.