HC Deb 28 January 1970 vol 794 cc1525-7
9. Mr. John Wells

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will consult with the National Farmers' Union and with the National Farmers' Union horticultural sections before any further bilateral trade agreements are negotiated with Eastern European countries.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody

The Board of Trade consult the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food before inter-Governmental negotiations affecting agricultural and horticultural interests take place. The Ministry are in close touch with the National Farmers' Union who are able to express their views at any time. I see no reason to change these arrangements.

Mr. Wells

Can we not have definite formal negotiations with the N.F.U., since bilateral trade agreement negotiations usually take place only once a year, normally in March and April? Surely a little formal consultation between the Department and the farmers' interests would improve the good will or perhaps lessen the bad will there is at present between the Department and the farmers.

Mrs. Dunwoody

Some of the bad will, as the hon. Gentleman calls it, which exists between the farmers and my Department has been artificially engendered through, in many cases, hon. Members opposite, who have chosen not to give accurate information about the position of the Board of Trade.

10. Mr. John Wells

asked the President of the Board of Trade why he has con- cluded an agreement with Romania exchanging approximately £30 million worth of horticultural imports with irrigation equipment exports, in view of the effect of these exports on British horticultural interests.

46. Mr. Body

asked the President of the Board of Trade what effect the recent agricultural trade deal with Romania is expected to have on imports to the United Kingdom of horticultural products from that country.

Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody

These contracts were entered into by private British firms and were not inter-Governmental agreements. The bulk of the foodstuffs concerned consists of non-horticultural products. In so far as horticultural products are involved, some of them may already be imported without quantitative restriction; the others may be imported into the United Kingdom only within the quotas for these products in force at the time.

Mr. Wells

Two questions arise. First, the quotas go up every year and, therefore, if the irrigation equipment is sold, there will still be more goods to compete with us. Surely the hon. Lady must take note of that. Secondly, the hon. Lady says that this was negotiated by private firms. Do not the Government have some surveillance of these negotiations?

Mrs. Dunwoody

Is the hon. Gentleman seriously suggesting that the Government should consult interested parties like the N.F.U. about arrangements to which they are not a party? If he is, it represents an extraordinary break with commercial tradition. The Ministry of Agriculture is in close touch with the N.F.U. and is well aware of its views.

Mr. Body

Is the hon. Lady aware that, of the list of the horticultural commodities imported from Romania, according to the Board of Trade Journal, quotas for 10 out of the 15 categories have been sharply increased and this is causing real concern to growers and may also cause concern to the British taxpayers, who are financing the Horticulture Improvement Scheme?

Mrs. Dunwoody

I am interested to learn that peaches, melons, grapes and aubergines constitute a menace to the horticulture of Holland-with-Boston.

There is in many cases a totally artificial campaign. We are a trading country. We enter into agreements on a world trade basis and we are perfectly capable of looking after the interests of our home producers.

Mr. Arthur Lewis

Is my hon. Friend aware that people in the North of England are pleased that they are able to export plant and equipment to Romania to enable the Romanians to earn the currency to buy these goods? People in the North are glad to have this employment.

Mrs. Dunwoody

Hon. Members opposite normally congratulate us when we obtain large export orders in engineering. This is a very large order for irrigation equipment which will be of enormous benefit not only to our industries supplying the goods, but to those who will be providing the services.