Written Answers To Questions
Friday, 11th February, 1955
Agriculture (Special Price Review)
asked the Minister of Agriculture what conclusions the Government have reached from the recent special review of farm prices.
In the light of the Special Review the Government have decided on full recoupment of the higher wage costs in agriculture in the United Kingdom resulting from Agricultural Wages Board awards. Additions will be made uniformly throughout the United Kingdom to the guaranteed prices of crops of the 1955 harvest, to take account of the increases in wage costs over a full year.In the case of livestock and livestock products, additions to guaranteed prices will be made uniformly throughout the United Kingdom to take account of the increases in wage costs over the remainder of the current livestock year. The methods of doing this will vary according to the circumstances of the commodity.Following are the details:
| CROPS OF THE 1955 HARVEST | ||||||
| — | Existing guaranteed prices for 1955 crops (as given in Appendix V of Cmd.9104) | Special Review addition | New guaranteed prices for 1955 crops | |||
| per cwt. | per cwt. | per cwt. | ||||
| s. | d. | d. | s. | d. | ||
| Wheat | 29 | 9 | 3 | 30 | 0 | |
| Rye | 23 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 3 | |
| Barley | 24 | 6 | 2 | 24 | 8 | |
| Oats | 23 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 3 | |
| per ton | per ton | per ton | ||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| Potatoes | 212 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 215 | 10 |
| Sugar Beet | 125 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 127 | 7 |
Livestock products
General. For each livestock product estimates have been made of the amount of the higher wage costs to the end of the current livestock year and these have been stated below either as an addition to guaranteed prices or as an aggregate sum.
Milk. Arrangements are being made to put the marketing authorities in funds to the extent of £587,000 for the United Kingdom. (This is approximately the equivalent of 0·83d. per
gallon on estimated sales during March.) The authorities will, however, make payments to producers in respect of whatever quantities and periods appear to them most appropriate.
Eggs. For first quality hen and duck eggs sold through packing stations from 13th February, 1955, to 26th March, 1955, inclusive, a Special Review award of ½d. per dozen will be added to the average support prices which would otherwise have been determined.
Wool. Arrangements will be made for the British Wool Marketing Board to withdraw from the Special Account a sum of £51,000.
Fatstock
For the purpose of calculating any collective guarantee payments that may be due, the following additions will be made to the existing standard prices for the four weeks ending 27th March, 1955, and for the subsequent two four-weekly periods to the standard prices to be determined after the Annual Review:—
| Fat cattle | 1s. 10½d. per live cwt. |
| Fat sheep and lambs | 0·64d. per lb. d.c.w. |
| Fat pigs | 2·66d. per score d.w. |
Telephone Service
Cold Ashby
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General whether he is aware that telephones are urgently required in Cold Ashby which is an isolated village more than two miles from the nearest practising medical man and about 10 miles from Market Harborough, the nearest large town; how many waiting applicants there are for telephone service in Cold Ashby; what steps he proposes to take to satisfy their applications; and when they may expect telephones.
Fourteen telephones have been fitted in Cold Ashby, including a public kiosk. Five applications are outstanding, of which two should be met shortly, but I regret that the remaining three cannot be dealt with until additional plant is provided.
Coventry And Leicester Areas
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General how many unsatisfied applicants for telephones there are, and how many there were a year ago, in the Walgrave, Creaton, Brixworth, and Guilsborough exchanges, respectively, in the Coventry area, and in the Welford, Roth-well, Burton Latimer, Corby Clipston, Kettering, Cranford, Desborough, Broughton, and Geddington exchanges, respectively, in the Leicester area; and what steps he is taking to provide additional telephone facilities.
The figures are as follows:
| Exchange area | Applications outstanding at | Telephones connected during 1954 | |
| 31.12.53 | 31.12.54 | ||
| Walgrave St. Peters | 16 | 10 | 5 |
| Creaton | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Brixworth | 20 | 19 | 11 |
| Guilsborough | 16 | 13 | 11 |
| Welford | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| Rothwell | 18 | 14 | 19 |
| Burton Latimer | 59 | 43 | 41 |
| Corby | 204 | 185 | 136 |
| Clipston | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| Kettering | 221 | 236 | 226 |
| Cranford | 6 | Nil | 6 |
| Desborough | 21 | 15 | 13 |
| Broughton | 3 | 2 | 10 |
| Geddington Cross | 10 | 7 | 10 |
| 612 | 560 | 501 | |
Lichfield
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General why no public telephone kiosk has been provided for St. Michaels Road, Lichfield, in view of the need for quick contact, in emergencies, with fire, hospital and other services.
Arrangements for providing this kiosk are well in hand and it should be ready for service by the end of the month.
Lincoln
asked the Assistant Postmaster-General the size of the waiting list for telephones in Lincoln on 31st December, 1954, or the nearest convenient date.
One hundred and twenty-three applications are outstanding and 214 are in course of being met or are under inquiry. Six hundred and one telephones were connected last year.