HC Deb 26 February 1969 vol 778 cc1706-7
24. Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he now intends to take to prevent imports of imitation English cheeses, in view of the large stocks of English-produced cheeses now available.

27. Mr. Stodart

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the dilution of the pool price of milk owing to the time taken to prevent the dumping of cheese upon the British market.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade announced on 22nd January that a full investigation is being made into applications lodged in December for duties on dumped or subsidised cheese imports. Negotiations for a voluntary limitation on cheddar deliveries from overseas are still in progress. I cannot say what the pool price would have been if the cheese market had not been affected by any given level of dumping or subsidisation, but the price of home-produced cheddar has remained stable.

Mrs. Short

Is my right hon. Friend not aware that British producers are very anxious that anti-dumping duties should be introduced? Does he not think that there is a prima facie case for this? Will he therefore urge his right hon. Friend to get a move on so that negotiations can be opened with the Governments concerned in order to protect our products from unfair competition?

Mr. Hughes

My hon. Friend will be aware that my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has found a prima facie case of dumping. He is now considering the matter in greater detail and will—I think, in a matter of two or three weeks—be able to come to a final conclusion.

Sir A. V. Harvey

Is it not a little late in the day when last year cheese imports increased by 67 per cent.? Surely the Minister must appreciate the state of the British economy and see that it is absolutely criminal to allow this situation to persist?

Mr. Hughes

That is precisely why the steps to which I have referred have been taken. While I do not want stocks to be too high, the hon. Member should know that the total cheese stocks were lower at the end of December than at any time since last April.