HC Deb 19 March 1987 vol 112 cc1033-4
11. Dr. Twinn

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on the scheme to give free European Community food to the needy.

Mr. Gummer

We have received a number of letters from charitable organisations, hon. Members, Members of the European Parliament and members of the public. There have been many expressions of thanks for the efforts of the charities in arranging the distribution.

Dr. Twinn

Does my right hon. Friend share my surprise that the hard work undertaken by the charities and by many thousands of voluntary workers should have been the subject of some carping criticism in the press and elsewhere, rather than receiving the admiration due to them for the way in which they rose to the challenge of distributing so much food so well?

Mr. Gummer

I agree with my hon. Friend. That is why I wrote to thank the heads of all the main charities involved, and I received some very encouraging replies as a result. They have done an enormous amount of work, and I believe that we should support them for so doing. To have distributed such a vast amount of butter and beef is very remarkable.

Mr. Spearing

Will the Minister say whether the Government asked the Commission to make it possible for local authorities to be involved in the distribution? Will the right hon. Gentleman tell the House and the country why he laid down no guidelines for the voluntary agencies in each area so that there could be consistency and therefore public confidence?

Mr. Gummer

Guidelines were laid down clearly with the representatives of the charities. I laid them down on the afternoon on which we launched the scheme. Those guidelines were loose enough for the local circumstances to be taken into account. Surely the hon. Gentleman would agree that in dealing with such matters generosity, concern and individual compassion are more important than consistency. That is why we supported the concept of the job being done by charities. We felt that they were much better fitted for it than anyone else.

Sir Nicholas Bonsor

My right hon. Friend will know, because my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch (Mr. Squire) and I wrote to him about it, that in the borough of Havering no charities have distributed any food because they have found it impossible to discover how to obtain it. I hope that my right hon. Friend will reply shortly to my hon. Friend the Member for Hornchurch and will investigate additional ways in which charities can be encouraged to take the quota that they should be able to obtain.

Mr. Gummer

Our initial inquiries suggest that part of the story has not been told. That has not been the experience in the country as a whole. We hope that if there has been a special problem in Hornchurch it can be overcome.

Mrs. Dunwoody

Is the Minister aware that in areas where charities are undertaking the task they have not only had to pay out a great deal of money, but have found it difficult to explain to people why supplies are different from one area to another and why they have incurred such great expense in packing and storing food? It has been an impossible scheme, and I hope that the Minister is ashamed of it.

Mr. Gummer

The hon. Lady would also find it difficult to explain why the packing was expensive, because no expense was incurred. The entire cost of packing the butter was met by FEOGA funds. The hon. Lady clearly does not know the facts, but has come here yet again to carp about what the charities are doing.