These regulations would reduce to a nominal amount as from 1 January 1981 the fees payable in respect of pigs presented for veterinary inspection under the Fresh Meat Acts and the Pigs and Bacon Acts. In a full year the total remission comes to £½ million. The purpose of this remission is to afford relief to the pigmeat industry over the next two years to help overcome the serious difficulties being experienced by the sector at present. The industry has engaged a good deal of the Minister for Agriculture's attention over recent months and he has had a number of meetings with the various interests to consider ways of helping the industry over its current difficulties.
Representatives of the bacon curers and the pig producers have now confirmed that they are unanimously agreed on measures to improve the centralised marketing of pigmeat. We now have therefore the very welcome situation of a unified approach by all concerned. The remission of fees now proposed should provide the pigmeat industry with the will to establish itself on a surer footing for the longer term.
If the industry is to withstand growing competition on export markets and the prospect of imports the united efforts of all will be needed to maintain output and employment. The surest way to maintain and expand our share of the market is to strive for the highest standards of product quality on a uniform basis.
In addition to the temporary remission of veterinary fees, the Government have decided to provide a grant of £200,000 per year over the next two years to the Pigs and Bacon Commission to enable the commission to intensify their work on the promotion of pigmeat. This is also a very necessary step towards strengthening the industry.
It is the Minister for Agriculture's intention to introduce legislation to extend the statutory levy to all pigs slaughtered for pork including slaughterings for the home trade. The extension of the levy to port pigs is aimed at leading to a more comprehensive and co-ordinated approach within the industry.