Agriculture Act 1993

59 Quota areas under the Potato Marketing Scheme

(1) Before 1st August in each year after such year as the Ministers may by order specify for the purposes of this subsection, the Joint Consultative Committee shall—

(a) consider whether it is desirable to establish a target area to be used for planting potatoes in the following year, and

(b) if it considers that it is, shall determine what that target area is.

(2) The area determined under subsection (1)(b) above shall not exceed such area as it is reasonable to expect will need to be planted in order to meet any likely demand.

(3) Where the Joint Consultative Committee makes a determination under subsection (1)(b) above, it shall give written notice of it to the Board before the end of the period of one month beginning with the date of the determination.

(4) Subsection (5) below applies where—

(a) the Joint Consultative Committee has made a determination under subsection (1)(b) above in relation to a year and complied with subsection (3) above in relation to it,

(b) the Board has prescribed a quota area for the year under paragraph 1 of Schedule D to the Scheme, and

(c) the Joint Consultative Committee is not satisfied that the quota area for the year so prescribed by the Board is sufficient to achieve the target area determined in relation to it under subsection (1)(b) above.

(5) The Joint Consultative Committee may by notice in writing to the Board require the Board to join with it in referring to the determination of an appropriate person the question of what is the lowest quota area for the year which may be prescribed under paragraph 1 of Schedule D to the Scheme consistently with achieving the area determined in relation to the year under subsection (1)(b) above.

(6) The reference in subsection (5) above to an appropriate person is to a person appointed by the Joint Consultative Committee and the Board or, in default of agreement, appointed on the application of either of them by the Ministers.

(7) Notice under subsection (5) above shall be given before the end of the period of one month beginning with the day on which the Board first prescribes a quota area for the year under paragraph 1 of Schedule D to the Scheme or, if later, the day on which the determination under subsection (1)(b) above is made.

(8) If the Board so requires, a reference under subsection (5) above shall also include the question whether, having regard to subsection (2) above, the target area determined by the Joint Consultative Committee is justifiable.

(9) Where a reference under subsection (5) above includes the question mentioned in subsection (8) above, the person to whom the reference is made shall only determine the question mentioned in subsection (5) above if he first determines in the affirmative the question mentioned in subsection (8) above.

(10) Where a quota area is determined on a reference under subsection (5) above and that area exceeds the quota area for the time being prescribed by the Board for the year to which the reference relates, the Scheme shall have effect as if the quota area determined on the reference were the quota area for the year.

(11) Subsection (10) above shall not affect the power of the Board under the proviso to paragraph 1(1) of Schedule D to the Scheme (power to raise quota area by an appropriate variation).

(12) Where subsection (10) above applies, the Board shall send a statement of the outcome of the reference to every registered producer who may be concerned with it.

(13) The Board shall keep a record of the outcome of references under subsection (5) above and the same arrangements shall apply with respect to the availability of the record for inspection, the supply of a copy of any entry in it and the making of extracts from it, as apply with respect to the record maintained by the Board under paragraph 91 of the Scheme (record of prescriptive resolutions).

(14) In any proceedings of the Joint Consultative Committee for the purposes of this section, decisions shall be made by a majority of the members present, with the Chairman voting only in the event of a tie.

(15) In this section—

• “the Board” means the Potato Marketing Board;

• “the Ministers” means the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Wales acting jointly;

• “the Scheme” means the Potato Marketing Scheme;

• “registered” means registered under the Scheme;

and references to the Joint Consultative Committee are to the committee constituted under paragraph 24 of the Scheme.