§ 1. Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will now give an assurance that he will impose variable import levies on food stuffs imported into the United Kingdom from the European Economic Community, in the event of the United Kingdom not joining the Community.
§ The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Christopher Soames)It is clearly not appropriate to make any statement about what our policy would be towards a Community of which we were not members whilst we are still negotiating for membership of that Community.
§ Mr. RidleyWhile many of us hope that the negotiations will still be brought to a satisfactory conclusion, would it not be wise of my right hon. Friend to support the British agricultural markets in the event of failure, and would not he help these negotiations if he made some such plans?
§ Mr. SoamesI do not think that there is any question of not helping with the negotiations. If the negotiations are not brought to a successful conclusion, however, our agricultural policy will have to be fitted in with our broad trading policy.