Mr James Hoy: I assure my hon. Friend that the slicks are immediately reported when they are discovered so that we may take the necessary action.
Mr James Hoy: Much as I sympathise with individual farmers who have suffered losses, I must remind the hon. Member that the Government do not guarantee farmers against hazards of bad weather or accident. The economic position of the industry is being examined as part of the current Annual Review.
Mr James Hoy: I am certain that the right hon. Gentleman knows, because he was in Government long enough to know, that any costs that have to be borne in agriculture are taken into account at the Annual Price Review.
Mr James Hoy: I do not altogether agree with the first part of my hon. Friend's supplementary question. The Government have taken steps, including the promotion of legislation, to help amalgamations, and we hope that this will play a considerable part in helping to solve this problem.
Mr James Hoy: I think that the hon. Gentleman would not disagree that over the past three or four Reviews there have been fairly decent increases in the end price. We must consider this matter in the same way to see whether we require to do any more about it.
Mr James Hoy: Trends in the egg industry are being considered in the course of the Annual Review discussions, and I cannot make a statement in advance of the publication of the Annual Review White Paper.
Mr James Hoy: We have taken steps to protect our egg market by a scheme of minimum import prices. As I said in reply to another Question, this must be considered in the terms of the Annual Review.
Mr James Hoy: I know how my hon. Friend feels about the difference between battery eggs and free-range eggs. Sometimes people whose sight is not so good are inclined to misjudge the size of the egg.
Mr James Hoy: No, Sir. There may well be scope for useful discussions between food manufacturers and distributors, some of whom already operate voluntary systems of date coding. But as my right hon. Friend is satisfied that this should not be made a compulsory requirement it would not be appropriate for him to intervene.
Mr James Hoy: I agree with my hon. Friend. She knows that the Food Standards Committee already advises us on matters of food labelling, and it has said that date marking is not practicable. The answer is efficient management and restocking. If this were done, I should have thought that the consumer would have no danger to face from any food which he or she might buy.
Mr James Hoy: I am sure that the hon. Lady knows that we have had conversations, which are continuing, with the food manufacturers, and we try to impress on them the necessity for efficient restocking. Whether food is date stamped or not, if they do not take the elementary precaution of proper restocking there is very little that we can do by legislation. At the end of the day, the food consumer has the...
Mr James Hoy: There is the closest consultation between my Department and that of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State about the form and timing of all representations on this matter.
Mr James Hoy: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already done so. We are in constant consultation with the Governments concerned.
Mr James Hoy: I would hardly go as far as that. But, as the hon. Gentleman will know, and as the House ought to know, it was this country which gave a lead to both the Atlantic Commissions in dealing with this problem. I assure the hon. Gentleman that consultations are going on because if salmon stocks were to be damaged too severely there would be repercussions not only in Greenland but throughout the world.
Mr James Hoy: The Report of the National Food Survey for 1967 which gives this information makes it clear that food expenditure per head varies much more with size and composition of the family than with income. Children require less food than adults, and better-off families of adults only may wish to buy more expensive food. As regards the last part of the Question, I understand from my right hon. Friend...
Mr James Hoy: No. We should like to see it raised. That is why I referred to my right hon Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services in the last part of the answer.
Mr James Hoy: As I said earlier, the cost of food went up least of all in these years. Certainly it went up much less than earnings. The hon. Gentleman should remember the question which one of his hon. Friends asked only a few moments ago advocating that we should increase the price of meat in this country.
Mr James Hoy: I am glad to be able to answer in the affirmative. It is true that when children reach that stage their food consumption is very great indeed. But I accept the figures given in the National Food Survey in connection with much younger families.
Mr James Hoy: Bilateral discussions with the Governments of our main suppliers of beef on a scheme to stabilise the United Kingdom market for beef and to improve the phasing of beef supplies are still in progress. It is too soon to say what the outcome of these discussions will be.
Mr James Hoy: No, I do not think people do regard the proposals as of not much use. In fact, they have already been welcomed this afternoon from the Opposition benches. We have had bilateral discussions with a considerable number of Governments. Discussions with two or three countries have yet to be held, and after that perhaps we can have a multilateral meeting to deal with this problem.
