HC Deb 15 December 1983 vol 50 cc1145-7
1. Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the policy of Her Majesty's Government towards the Community's proposals for changes in the agri-marketing system for the Community's agricultural policy.

16. Mr. Deakins

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in reducing the costs of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Michael Jopling)

In the Government's view the vital need is to contain agricultural expenditure by action on farm prices and by other means.

Sir Geoffrey Johnson-Smith

I welcome my right hon. Friend's answer, but assuming that he supports measures that would remove tedious and bureaucratic proposals such as compelling honey producers to indentify on the labels the flowers on which the bees feed, may I have his reassurance, particularly on poultry and dairy produce, that he will uphold the necessary traditional standards of health regulations in this country and not allow them to be reduced on the ground of freer trade?

Mr. Jopling

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, and I can tell him that the bees are constantly on my mind. We have been discussing animal health in Brussels this week, and in particular we have been able to obtain a roll-over of the arrangements which give us protection from foot and mouth disease.

Mr. Deakins

At the recent Athens summit, how many other member Governments agreed with Her Majesty's Government's proposition that cost increases in the CAP should be kept within the limits of own resources cost increases? Will that proposition remain the firm policy of the Government during the months of negotiation ahead?

Mr. Jopling

The hon. Gentleman will recall that since July and the Stuggart summit we have continually been making clear our view that the best way to deal with the crisis in the Community is to tackle it through the device of price fixing. We shall continue to plead that cause. Within the Community, we have to bear in mind that we must get agreement. Therefore, as I said in my answer, we shall use every device available to us.

Mr. Marlow

As an example of one such device, now that the Strasbourg comic opera has decided to confiscate £450 million of British taxpayers' money, will my right hon. Friend do the logical thing and get out of this whole wretched, rotten agri-marketing business known as the common agricultural policy and do something for British consumers as well as for the British farmer?

Mr. Jopling

I am surprised that my hon. Friend said that. The answer to the main part of his question is no, it is not our intention to leave the Community and scrap the common agricultural policy. I am particularly surprised at what he said, because he seems to have forgotten that in recent years the price of food has gone up at a slower rate than the price of other things.

Mr. Ioan Evans

Does the Minister agree that it is because of the common agricultural policy that we are one of the two main contributors to Common Market funds? As the European Parliament has frozen the rebate of the £450 million which we oversubscribed to the fund, does he not think that there should be a fundamental reform of the CAP and that we should revert to the agriculture support system that we had before we joined the Common Market, which was better for the consumer and for the producer?

Mr. Jopling

I cannot accept the first part of the hon. Gentleman's question. I reject the suggestion in the second part that we should revert to what I regard as one of the most disastrous policies for British agriculture, that of guaranteed prices and deficiency payments. If the hon. Gentleman were to pursue that line he would saddle the taxpayers of this country with an extra burden of about £2.25 billion.

Mr. Robert Hughes

Is it not true that the net cost to the United Kingdom of the CAP is £3.5 billion per annum? Is it not also true that food prices are now rising faster than the average RPI? Will the Minister at least acknowledge — as I acknowledge, and I should be grateful if he would admit — that he stands four-square behind the CAP, as a result of which the consumer gets ever dearer and dearer food?

Mr. Jopling

We are trying very hard to get changes in the common agricultural policy. The hon. Gentleman knows — and he heard the speech that I made in the House the other day which demonstrated this—the ways in which we are trying to change it as best we can. He will recall that not many months ago there was a zero increase in the price of food. He should know that the price of food is seasonal and has a habit of going up and down.