Eggs (Guaranteed Prices)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 6 June 1957.

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Mr. Amory:

On the contrary. We carried out this operation in the Ministry of Food and since. But I believe that, in future, such work will be carried out more effectively because the Board will be a more appropriate instrument for doing it than a Government Department.

The hon. Gentleman asked about the feed formula. The change we have made there has been fully agreed with the National Farmers' Unions and will not affect the value of the guarantee at all. The hon. Gentleman asked whether the reduction we made in the last Price Review was the maximum which could be made under the provisions of our long-term assurances. The answer is that it was nearly the maximum. I fancy that under the scheme we could have gone a farthing higher.

Finally, the hon. Gentleman asked whether we could guarantee that producers would receive a guaranteed price of 4s. 1¼d. for the current year. What the producers will actually receive during the current year will depend largely on what the Board decides to pay them in cash. At the time of the Annual Review, the basis for the financial agreement had been agreed with the farmers' unions. These financial arrangements under which the Board will work and which I have described had been agreed, and the estimated market price for the year had also been announced. I think it was included in the Government's White Paper.

What the Board will be able to earn for the producers will depend on how successful it is in obtaining the best price that the market will pay. That is why we have included this band, and therefore we cannot say precisely what the sum available for the producers will be. It may be slightly less and, equally, it may be slightly more.

I have attempted to cover all the points raised by the hon. Gentleman, and I hope that the House will now approve the Order.