HC Deb 11 February 1986 vol 91 cc779-80
Q12. Mr. Leigh

asked the Prime Minister if she will pay an official visit to Gainsborough.

The Prime Minister

I have at present no plans to do So.

Mr. Leigh

I am sorry that my right hon. Friend has no plans to visit Gainsborough. Is she aware that Gainsborough depends heavily on the agricultural community and that that community needs reassurance, following the debate initiated by the Liberal party last week, in which the hon. Member for Truro (Mr. Penhaligon) told me that he did not know what his party's quota policy was, in which the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnor (Mr. Livsey) said "We have no quota policy", in which the hon. Member for Ceredigion and Pembroke, North (Mr. Howells) said, "We are against quotas", and in which the hon. Member for Caithness and Sutherland (Mr. Maclennan) said, "We are in favour of quotas"? It is asked, "If one alliance, why two parties?" Should we not ask, "If one alliance, why four quota policies?"

The Prime Minister

I congratulate my hon. Friend on the excellence of his supplementary question. I do not have time to visit Gainsborough, but there may be some farmers from the Gainsborough area in the audience that I shall be addressing this evening, and I shall have something to say about quotas.

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