Common Agricultural Policy (Hansard, 25 June 1981)

§ 3. Mr. Teddy Taylor
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his main priorities in the reform of the common agricultural policy.

§ 6. Mr. Colin Shepherd
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any further progress has been made towards the reform of the common agricultural policy.

§ Mr. Peter Walker
My main priority is to continue the progress already made towards containing the growth of guarantee expenditure.

§ Mr. Taylor
Is there any logical or commercial reason why the record quantities of cheap subsidised food sent to Russia last year, and the near record quantities of food and vegetables destroyed, should not be offered at comparable prices to, say, retirement pensioners here? In his search for reform, will my right hon. Friend ensure that food is not offered at subsidised cheap prices abroad which are not available at home?

§ Mr. Walker
My hon. Friend knows that the Government have constantly opposed the selling of cheap food to the Soviet Union. On his general question, my hon. Friend knows that the doubling of the consumer subsidy on butter, and the sheepmeat regime, with its considerable advantages to consumers, are two ways in which the Government have made considerable progress in achieving the objective that my hon. Friend seeks.

§ Mr. Geraint Howells
Does the Minister agree that the common agricultural policy must be reformed so that British agriculture can compete on equal terms with its counterparts in Europe? What plan has he in mind to achieve that?

§ Mr. Walker
Yes, that is why in answer to an earlier question I stated that I hoped that the Council would give careful consideration to the nature of national aids. The areas in which British agriculture is being impeded in its success are those in which, in our judgment, national aids are being offered to other farmers, outside the general principles of the Treaty of Rome.

§ Mr. Colin Shepherd
In his consideration of the development of the common agriculture policy, will my right hon. Friend take heed primarily of the long-term needs of Britain's agriculture industry? Will he emphasise to those who peddle instant panaceas for the problems of the CAP that proper attention must be paid to the means of effecting changes that are being discussed, if the industry is not to be impossibly stressed in the interim?

§ Mr. Walker
I think that both sides of the House agree that the nature of agriculture is essentially a long-term business and one in which swift and rapid movements cannot be made without doing considerable economic and social harm. That is why I am anxious that during our Presidency we should consider the long-term trends of the common agriculture policy and make decisions based on the long-term, rather than on the immediate problems.

§ Mr. Home Robertson
Has the Minister made any estimates of the cost or the tonnage of cereals from the 1981 harvest that will end up in intervention stores in the United Kingdom? Can he think of better ways of handling a commodity such as this, as the United Kingdom is a net importer of cereals?

§ Mr. Walker
I should never make the mistake of making firm predictions for the 1981 harvest world-wide or of the 1981 demand. Last year's experience showed that the United Kingdom coped well.