§ 7. Mrs. Ann Winterton (Congleton)When he expects exports of beef products to resume from Wales. [88528]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Jon Owen Jones)A great deal sooner than would have happened under the previous Government. I am pleased with the progress that our Government have made to date towards achieving the lifting of the beef export ban, but these are matters for the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and in future he will involve the National Assembly for Wales in his deliberations.
§ Mrs. WintertonDespite the Labour Government's boast about the lifting of the export ban way back in November 1998, no British beef has yet reached the continent. The Government have failed to remove any further barriers set up by the European Union. What discussions has the Minister had with the Agriculture Secretary in Wales and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food about the future of the calf processing aid scheme? Does he agree that it is vital that that scheme be extended until the export ban is lifted and beef is exported and until the market has righted itself again?
Mr. JonesWe are very near to persuading the EU finally to allow beef to be exported from this country. We expect the first beef to be exported in the very near future—this summer, I hope. The hon. Lady claims that the Government are not succeeding where her Government lamentably failed. They produced the difficulty in the first place, and I think that she should have some shame.
§ Ms Jackie Lawrence (Preseli Pembrokeshire)The hon. Member for Congleton (Mrs. Winterton) has asked a question which I hoped to ask under Question 3. In any meeting with the Agriculture Secretary in Wales will the Minister stress the mature and responsible attitude of the National Farmers Union in Wales, which stated this weekend that any unilateral moves to remove the ban on beef on the bone in Wales could damage the efforts to get the export ban on beef lifted?
Mr. JonesI endorse my hon. Friend's comments. The NFU has acted extremely responsibly. This is a difficult issue. We are working towards an objective that all the industry would share—the lifting of the export ban.
§ Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley)The Minister makes much of the lifting of the ban. He says that he hopes to see exports in the summer. Let us cut the waffle. The Minister knows that the beef farmers will be listening to what he has to say. Not a single carcase of beef has gone abroad from Wales or anywhere in the United Kingdom for that matter. Will the hon. Gentleman give Welsh farmers a date on which the first beef will be slaughtered and exported from Wales to the rest of Europe?
Mr. JonesThe hon. Gentleman asks for a specific date. I recall that when the Labour party was in 1019 opposition, the Conservative Government constantly referred to a date—a November, I believe it was. The lifting of the ban never came and no beef was exported. The Conservative party seems more interested in renegotiating the treaty of Rome than renegotiating the rights of British farmers. The beef ban will be lifted under the Labour Government soon and farmers know that they can trust the Government to act in their interests, while the Conservative party let them down extremely badly.