§ 11. Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans she has to assist sheep producers who have been denied access to quota by the recent change in the EC sheepmeat regime; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackThe national quota reserve for sheep annual premium is designed to assist certain categories of producers who, because of the changes in the sheepmeat regime, are not able to receive enough quota for their needs.
§ Mr. KirkwoodWhat is the Minister doing to identify cases of genuine hardship? People are caught in some of the emerging transitional traps and, through no fault of their own, are left with little or no quota at all. Would he be prepared to consider tribunals reviewing genuine cases of hardship, as happened in respect of milk quotas? Is the Minister aware that the alternative of buying or leasing a Government quota is not a real alternative because it is too expensive?
§ Mr. JackI understand the hon. Gentleman's point: 18.7 million units of quota have already been allocated, and we have the reserve of 740,000 units still to go. Each category in the national reserve was very carefully thought out to deal with, I hope, precisely the type of hardship case 415 that he mentioned. We do not have any plans to buy up quota; nor do we have power to deal with some of the cases that the hon. Gentleman has in mind.