§ 2.56 p.m.
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
The Question was as follows:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take to prevent the import of subsidised eggs from the Continent.
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, the Government could justify seeking to control the import of eggs from other member-States of the Community only if there were clear evidence that such imports were at the heart of our industry's problems.
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the French egg producers are receiving an interest-free loan from their Government so that they are able to export eggs to this country below the cost of production, and that this is therefore affecting our egg producers? Does this not contravene Article 46 of the Treaty of Rome, and is it not possible to take action under Article 136 of the Treaty of Accession?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords with regard to the first part of the noble Earl's supplementary question, the French Government loan—in the form of launching aid for a producer funded and organised price equalisation fund—is one of a number of national aids being considered by the Commission under Article 93 of the 1191 Treaty of Rome. With regard to the question which the noble Earl asked about Article 136 of the Treaty of Accession, before one could consider invoking the protection clauses of either the Treaty of Rome or the Treaty of Accession, it would be necessary to produce hard evidence that imports were at the heart of the United Kingdom's industry's problems. There is at present no conclusive evidence, but if the industry could produce such evidence the Government would, of course, examine it.
§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONEMy Lords, has the noble Lord considered the evidence in the Press that some of these French eggs are marked with the British stamp and a date later than that on which they are imported? Whether or not that is at the heart of our industry's problems, can it not be stopped as a Common Law cheat?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, we certainly did find on 19th February the first case of wrong date stamping on a consignment of French eggs. The boxes in question were returned to France for restamping and the French authorities have been asked to take action to try to avoid a recurrence. Otherwise, we have found only minor infringements. Any irregularities will be followed up promptly and firmly.
§ Lord SHINWELLMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that the importing of these eggs from the Continent is not a matter for ribaldry, but is a very serious matter indeed? Could he say whether, under the Treaty of Rome and its various provisions, we are bound to accept these eggs whether they are good or bad? Would he also be good enough to say whether the observations which recently came from another quarter of your Lordships' House, mean that there is some fading away from the proposition of remaining in the Treaty of Rome because of this matter of eggs?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, the Treaty of Rome does not allow us to accept eggs with wrong date stamps, even from France.
§ Lord SANDYSMy Lords, while recognising the complexity of this issue, have the Government considered the necessity of taking into account the 1192 recently published Swan Report on toxicity of foodstuffs, and should the import of French and other eggs be considered in the light of that Report?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I assume that the noble Lord is referring to antibiotics in egg production. The Community rules are similar to our own, and it is therefore unlikely that imported eggs will have been produced with the aid of antibiotics not permitted here.
§ Lord SHINWELLMy Lords, would my noble friend make a submission to his right honourable friend the Prime Minister that, in making up his mind about the question associated with the Referendum, instead of all the palaver and fine words the Referendum question should consist of whether or not we should accept these eggs?
§ Baroness SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, could my noble friend say whether the price of the eggs was reduced after they were redated, or whether they were sold to the unsuspecting housewife?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I am afraid I do not know what happened once they got back to France.
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, am I to understand the noble Lord seriously to say that the eggs were sent back to be restamped and, if so, did they come back to this country again?
§ Lord STRABOLGINo, my Lords, what I said was that they were sent back so that we could get a consignment with a correct stamp on it.
§ Lord WIGGMy Lords, would my noble friend be good enough to say whether there is a special branch of the Foreign Office dealing with the question of eggs, good or bad?
§ Lord STRABOLGINo, my Lords, not yet.
§ Lord HOYMy Lords, may I ask my noble friend what is the total number and total value of these eggs coming in, and what proportion they represent of the total egg consumption in this country?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I think we must put this matter into perspective. Imports are estimated to have 1193 been only 70,000 boxes, which is 2 per cent. of our supply, and this is more than 30,000 fewer boxes than in January 1974, when noble Lords opposite were in Government.
§ Lord SLATERMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that there is no complexity attached to the supplementary question asked from the other side on this issue? Is it not correct to state that the time is fast approaching when this island will be covered with foreigners coming from the EEC countries and taking up forms of labour which have not been overtaken by the unemployment situation?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I suggest that that is quite a different question concerning a different Government Department.
Viscount ST. DAVIDSMy Lords, if we may set aside the question of bad eggs, may I ask what rights of complaint we would have, if we left the Common Market organisation, against the breaches of price and other troubles that have been pointed out?
§ Lord STRABOLGIMy Lords, I suggest that that question goes rather wider than the original Question.
§ The LORD PRIVY SEAL (Lord Shepherd)My Lords, may I rather plaintively suggest that we bring Question Time to an end and move to the next Business?