§ 5. Mr. Neubertasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will give an assurance that the EEC common agricultural policy will be included in the multilateral trade negotiations and that the principles and mechanisms of the common agricultural policy are negotiable.
§ Mr. MeacherAgricultural trade is included in the negotiations, and the common agricultural policy will be operated to take account of whatever agreements are reached in the negotiations.
§ Mr. NeubertDoes the Minister agree that one of the advantages of the CAP and membership of the EEC should be easier access to food supplies throughout the Community? If so, what action is he taking to protect the trade in agricultural products between France and Great Britain, and what is he doing about the blacking by Southampton dockers of the proposed new service operated by Brittany Ferries between Portsmouth and St. Malo, in which the Portsmouth ratepayers have a £1 million stake?
§ Mr. MeacherI think that the connection between unilateral trade negotiations and the Portsmouth ratepayer is tenuous to the point of invisibility. If the hon. Gentleman wishes to table a specific Question on that highly technical matter, I will see that he receives an answer.
§ Mr. MaddenHow many foodstuffs such as butter are nearly twice as dear for the British housewife if they originate from the Common Market as would be the case if they were available to us on the world market? What is my hon. Friend's Department doing to end the ramshackle policy of the CAP which was designed to benefit French farmers and which is working against the interests of British housewives and inevitably increasing the cost of all foodstuffs?
§ Mr. MeacherThe question of higher butter prices as a result of the CAP depends upon the relationship between EEC prices and world prices, which fluctuate. I shall be glad to give my hon. Friend the latest figures. On the question of the multilateral trade negotiations, I would certainly hope that cheaper food imports will be one of the results. I envisage that there will be discussion of tariff reductions, of international commodity agreements and of a co-ordination of trading agreements in key products such as milk, butter and meat. I hope that the consequence will be some reduction in the cost of food imports.