The Prime Minister's visit to the West Country and his solution to solve the problem holds out little hope for the farming community. With no new money, the Internet and diversifying, seems like an electronic version of On yer Bike.

If you are suffering from low or negative income, are in debt, work 14 hours a day, with no access to further capital, where do you start. There are two possible solutions the Government could take, at no extra cost, if only they had the political will.

During the period of the last Labour Government in the 1970s they produced a financial package called The Barnett Formula. This was aimed at Scotland and Wales, whose traditional industries of shipbuilding, mining and steelmaking were in decline. The formula gave per capita Government funding of about 30% and 20% extra to Scotland and Wales respectively, over and above that given to the English Regions and has continued ever since. Because of these grants, the infrastructure has been modernised and hundreds of firms, many high tech, have located or relocated in those areas.

Not all areas of Scotland and Wales have benefited to the same extent but many are now prosperous, especially where the new industries have been established.

This has created an anomaly, English regions or industries, whose population provide the largest percentage of the taxation, are worse off in comparison and we should also bear in mind that the Scottish Parliament now has its own tax raising powers.

I am not advocating a withdrawal of these grants, merely a scaling down of, say, 50% which would release billions of pounds not only to help agriculture throughout the UK but also counties such as Cornwall.

Mr Blair wants us to be one nation, town and country in harmony, but without equity of treatment this is an impossible dream.

Again last week a report in a national newspaper stated that the British Embassy in Paris had advised the British Government that threequarters of the drinking water resources in Britanny, a major agriculture producing region and exporter, contained excessive pesticide levels in contravention of EU regulations.

If this is so, then animal, poultry, dairy, fruit and vegetable products most contain traces which are as injurious to human health as BSE.

Why has the Government not advised consumers and tourists of this problem and why have they not stopped imports or taken the French to the European Commission to have these products banned worldwide.

If they did so it would provide an opening for our own farmers to take a greater market share and relieve some of the pressure.

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