The Earl of SELKIRKMy 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 whether it is true that eggs produced in France can be imported into this country while eggs produced in the United Kingdom cannot be imported into France.
§ The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of INDUSTRY (Lord Beswick)My Lords, there is no restriction on imports of eggs into this country from France. We export eggs for hatching to France, but no eggs for human consumption. This is because we permit the use of certain arsenical compounds in poultry feedingstuffs. The French Government have given an assurance that they will act immediately to allow free access for our eggs as soon as we stop the use of these additives in feedingstuffs for laying birds. We have sought the agreement of the industry and manufacturers to this step and hope it can be agreed and implemented quickly.
The Earl of SELKIRKMy Lords, is not this objection to the feeding methods of our chickens completely bogus, and is it not true that for many years we in this country have eaten eggs and no one has died from arsenical poisoning? Is this not a put-up job by the French fanning co-operatives?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, I have no evidence to that effect.
Baroness VICKERSMy Lords, has the Minister read the accounts of the action atken by the farmers in Plymouth to stop French eggs coming into this country? Would it not be much better to 1288 get agreement with the French not to send any more, rather than have these unfortunate actions taking place in the ports, especially as the whole wagon was taken back again to France?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, I agree with what the noble Baroness says, and I think that we in this House might all agree that right now there are too many sections of our community taking the law into their own hands. On the question of imports, I am bound to say that when one looks at the figures one finds that there must be some undue apprehension, because the total imports in January and February of this year were 114,000 boxes, as against 173,000 boxes for a similar period last year.
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, is it not a fact that we have a regulation which says that eggs may not be sold in this country if the chickens have been reared on food which has antibiotics in it, yet the French are not subject to such restrictions? As our restrictions were imposed on public health grounds, is it not right that imported eggs should be subject to similar restrictions?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, imported eggs are subject to similar restriction, but this does not restrict the importation of eggs. It is our eggs that are said to be poisonous and not the French eggs. However, I have said that there appears to be the possibility of agreement both with the poultry keepers and with the feeding-stuffs trade to have the compound eliminated from poultry feedingstuffs for laying birds.
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, is it possible that the noble Lord may have been misinformed? Is it not a fact that French producers may produce eggs from food with antibiotics in it, whereas English producers are not allowed to use antibiotics; yet we import eggs from France which have been produced with food containing antibiotics?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, I really think that this is a matter for discussion, and this is now taking place. There is a difference of opinion as to the adverse effect, or otherwise, of this arsenical compound. It is conceivable, as the noble Earl says, that there may be some additive in the French feedingstuffs, but if 1289 there is I am not aware of it. It is the particular additive that we are using to which the French have taken objection.
§ Lord HAILSHAM of SAINT MARYLEBONEMy Lords, will the noble Lord confirm that the use of antibiotics indiscriminately in producing human food is contrary to medical policy and has a health aspect about it?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, I have no doubt that if antibiotics were used indiscriminately by anyone anywhere it would be ill-advised.
§ Lord DAVIES of LEEKMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that Her Majesty's Opposition are at last, as we waddle euphorically in the Common Market, becoming aware that there are snags which they should have looked into before they forced the legislation through this House?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, what I found particularly interesting in the 6.30 a.m. agricultural programme on the BBC this morning was the comment by M. Lardinois that if one accepts the principle of the EEC one should accept the pattern of trade which follows.
§ Lord ORR-EWINGMy Lords, would not the noble Lord agree that France was a founder Member of the Common Market, and that this is one more illustration of the fact that she has not lost one jot of her nationalism or sovereignty in that period?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, will the Minister be good enough to realise that there is a difference between antibiotics and arsenical compounds, and that I was asking a question on antibiotics but he was replying on arsenics?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, I was trying to draw the same distinction myself, but it was difficult to put it over to the noble Earl. If he tables a Question about the advisability or otherwise of using any additives in any feeding-stuffs, I will endeavour to give him an Answer. But it was not quite the Question that appeared on the Order Paper.
The Earl of SELKIRKMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord to realise that there really is a grave situation here which is causing great anxiety? The 1290 majority of people think that this argument about arsenic is not the real basis of the problem, and that it is purely and simply a discussion on trade?
§ Lord BESWICKMy Lords, there is, nevertheless, a difference of view about that and we have to accept that fact. On the other hand, there is Article 135 of the Treaty of Accession which could give us an opportunity of taking action here. The possibility of action is being considered with the British Poultry Federation and the National Farmers' Union, and I hope that shortly after Easter a decision will be taken about action under this heading.