HC Deb 24 February 1994 vol 238 cc425-6
9. Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures are taken by her Department to increase the sales of British food in the United Kingdom.

Mrs. Gillian Shephard

We are giving help and encouragement to our very successful food producers, processors and manufacturers to help them to meet the needs of customers in the United Kingdom and abroad.

Mr. Pawsey

I thank my right hon. Friend for that typically helpful reply. Does she agree that fresh British food is among the best in the world, and that it would do much for the health and prosperity of the British people if we could persuade more British consumers to buy home-grown produce?

Mrs. Shephard

Yes, I entirely agree with my hon. Friend that British produce is among the best in the world. Our British retailers are now increasingly labelling British food with its place of origin, which obviously helps to persuade the British consumer to buy British. Ultimately, however, the consumer has the right to go for quality, and it is quality which we should aim for in promoting British food.

Mr. Wilson

Is the Minister aware that farmed salmon is one British food which could soon no longer be with us unless the Government act in Europe? Is she aware of the report by Ernst and Young—a firm of consultants that the Tory party tends to hire and whose views it normally accepts—establishing that £300 million worth of illegal subsidy has been given by the Norwegian Government to their salmon farming industry over the past four years?

Why have the Government not established those facts and why do they now refuse to act on them? Does the Minister realise that 6,000 jobs and an enormous amount of public investment is at stake unless the Government take seriously the problems of the salmon farming industry and put it at the top of their priority list in Brussels?

Mrs. Shephard

I am very well aware of the importance of the salmon farming industry in Scotland. I am also aware of the amount of investment that has been put in and the number of jobs involved. The hon. Gentleman will understand that the decision on the type of safeguard action to take against alleged dumping and the level of, say, minimum import prices are matters for the Commission. I remind the hon. Gentleman of the reply that I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Mr. Gallie) a moment ago when I said that these matters were being firmly taken forward by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State, Scottish Office.

Mr. Colin Shepherd

May I welcome my right hon. Friend's response to my hon. Friend the Member for Rugby and Kenilworth (Mr. Pawsey) in respect of the continued work being done by retailers to identify British produce. Is she aware of the independent survey done in my constituency of Hereford which showed that 64 per cent. of consumers would alter their purchasing habits if they were made more aware of the origins of the produce that they buy? Will she step up her efforts when talking to major supermarket operators, so that they make it even more clear and follow the excellent example of the Superquin supermarkets in Dublin, which clearly identify Irish products in every shop? Will she ensure that that kind of effort takes place in Britain so that we can buy more British produce?

Mrs. Shephard

I will certainly continue every effort to promote British food, whether it is for consumption at home or abroad. I draw my hon. Friend's attention to the Strathclyde food project which is bringing together producers, processors and retailers in promoting exactly the kind of activity that he advocates.