Mr Jim Nicholson: On Monday afternoon the Secretary of State made a statement to the House in which he announced that large sums of money are to be made available for the provision of better security at border police stations. May I draw to his attention the fact that many of us are aware that the proposals for a new police station in Newry are not new, but have been on the books for many years? Will he assure...
Mr Jim Nicholson: I thank the Secretary of State for his expression of sympathy to all those who were bereaved in my constituency last Thursday night. Will he ensure that a full inquiry is conducted into this brutal and callous attack, that the inquiry examines all ways in which such attacks can be prevented in future and how perimeter surveillance can be improved to ensure that no repetition of Thursday's...
Mr Jim Nicholson: May I take this opportunity to add my congratulations to the Minister on the outcome of the negotiations, which, without doubt, will be of great assistance to the dairy farmers in Northern Ireland. May I also take the opportunity to remind him that, while we welcome the improvements, in many ways they have come too late for those producers who kept within the law as it was and did not...
Mr Jim Nicholson: Does the hon. Gentleman extend that principle to all elections in Northern Ireland?
Mr Jim Nicholson: I welcome the Minister's firm declaration in support of the beef variable premium scheme. I assure him that it has the support of farmers in Northern Ireland, who recognise the great need for it. In view of the continuing delay in the payment of the 1984–85 ewe premium, will he ensure that an interim payment is made to alleviate the hardship that is felt especially by hill livestock producers?
Mr Jim Nicholson: I welcome the concession that the Government are making because it will help large dairy farmers to contract and have an easier time running their farms. They will be able to sell their extra quota; or they may wish to lease it, although the Minister wants them to sell it. I am concerned about the lack of uptake in Northern Ireland of the buyers scheme. The amendment will be of no help in...
Mr Jim Nicholson: Northern Ireland is included in the Bill and we shall be presented with an Order in Council on which we, representing dairy farmers in Northern Ireland, will riot be allowed to make one comment. That is ridiculous. I should like to say much more, but I realise the time of night.
Mr Jim Nicholson: I am grateful to the Minister for recognising that at the end of the day the money is still there and that the Bill is still against the farmers in Northern Ireland. However, will he deal with the point I made regarding the quality of the relationship between farmers in Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, especially the small farmers and bringing up to 1983 levels those...
Mr Jim Nicholson: I should like to refer to that part of the Bill which relates to Northern Ireland. As the Minister said, Northern Ireland legislation will go through by Order in Council but will follow fairly closely the Bill which is before us today. As other hon. Members have said, the Bill is a bad Bill. It does not go far enough. I agree with previous hon. Members who said that the Bill does not do...
Mr Jim Nicholson: asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made by the appeal panels and tribunals in processing milk quota appeals.
Mr Jim Nicholson: I welcome the fact that the tribunals and panels are finally coming to their conclusion, but is the Minister aware that many small producers in Northern Ireland received nothing when they went to the appeal tribunals and panels, and that they have been seriously disadvantaged by the fact that it was the large producers who appear to be receiving whatever milk quota is available?
Mr Jim Nicholson: I wish to address myself to Class I, Vote 1. I welcome anything that improves the facilities of our agricultural colleges. However, I must make it clear that I only welcome improvement to the existing system—the funds should not be used to purchase additional land for the colleges. An agricultural college in the Province recently bid for land against local farmers and the price rose to...
Mr Jim Nicholson: I agree with the hon. Gentleman that £1 million would be considered extremely important by Northern Ireland farmers. It is only right that we should stress that Northern Ireland is expected to accept one third of the cut for the entire United Kingdom. I direct myself to milk quotas, the buy-out scheme, the administration of the scheme and the consequent costs. Milk quotas have been with us...
Mr Jim Nicholson: That may well be, but I did not want to go that low. That would be unacceptable to the farmers of Northern Ireland, just as I hope it will be unacceptable to the Minister.
Mr Jim Nicholson: I thank my hon. Friend for his valuable and learned contribution. He makes a valid point. The Minister has no doubt listened to it and will perhaps in due course comment on it. It is a matter that will cause concern to the farmers placed in that invidious position. It is fair to say that no other bureaucratic body, in an attempt to solve one problem, could have created a greater one. The...
Mr Jim Nicholson: I rise for the first time to speak about the Bill, and so I am one of the few who can say that whatever I say, will not have been heard before. I was happy to leave the Bill in the hands of my right hon. and hon. Friends, but when I listened to the Minister I felt that I should intervene. This is a poor and bad Bill. It will cause many and immense problems in the future, such as those...
Mr Jim Nicholson: Is the Minister aware that farmers in Northern Ireland will pay almost £7 million this year in co-responsibility levy on top of £5 millon in dairy quota levy? Will the Minister assure the House that he will add his weight to the abolition of the co-responsibility levy, as it is now unnecessary after the introduction of dairy quotas?
Mr Jim Nicholson: During the Minister's recent and welcome visit to Northern Ireland, did he develop any greater understanding of the problems facing Northern Ireland dairy farmers? Will the right hon. Gentleman now accept that Northern Ireland dairy farmers did not receive the 65,000 tonnes and that that is causing great hardship to the Northern Ireland dairy industry?
Mr Jim Nicholson: asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made with the application of milk quotas in Northern Ireland.
Mr Jim Nicholson: Is the Minister aware that Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom which at present stands to pay the super levy within the regulations? Will the Minister assure the House that no money will be collected from Northern Ireland dairy farmers or forwarded to Brussels until all appeals are heard, and until we are sure that all EEC countries will stand firm and carry out their part...
