UK Food Production: Marketing Initiatives (Hansard, 30 October 1985)

§ Lord Sandys
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)
My Lords, through the national marketing organisation, Food from Britain, which the Government established in 1983, a number of important marketing initiatives have taken place. My right honourable friend the Minister announced recently that provided sufficient funds are forthcoming from the food and agriculture industries, the Government will make up to £2½, million available to Food from Britain in 1988–89 and the following two years. This is in addition to the £14 million provided for the organisation's first five years.

§ Lord Sandys
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for a very satisfactory Answer. But does he agree that the establishment of the British kite mark in the minds of the customer, both domestic and overseas, will need a sustained campaign? Can he confirm that it is the intention of Her Majesty's Government to see that both the domestic and the overseas markets are catered for?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I agree very much with what my noble friend says. I hope that the three-year funding guarantee, after the intitial pump priming funding of £14 million runs out in 1988, is evidence that the Government believe that. My noble friend talks about the importance of both the domestic and the export markets. It might interest the House to know that exports of food and drink from this country have risen from something over £1¼ billion in 1975 to nearly £4½, billion in 1984. I think that that is a trend which we should be determined to continue.

§ Lord John-Mackie
My Lords, those are important figures that the Minister has given and they are very encouraging. However, must we not widen the whole conception of Food from Britain into either an EC body or a national body in order to develop the process of getting rid of the enormous food surpluses that we have in this country? There are rumours that the National Farmers' Union has been trying to interest some body of that description and there has also been talk in the EC. It is important that something should be done so that we may have world-wide trade in these surpluses at an early date.

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, the amount of grain being shifted out of the Community in the form of aid is quite substantial. On top of that there is Community aid, as well as national aid, which is given in cash terms. It is important for me to add in domestic terms that the Ministry, the NFU and the Food and Drink Federation, as well as Food from Britain, have joined together recently to launch a series of joint studies to explore the scope for improving market prospects for United Kingdom food production in certain specific sectors; for instance, pig meat, lamb, soft fruit, convenience salads and oats in manufacturing.

§ Lord Renton
My Lords, can my noble friend say whether the answer he has just given indicates that we are getting the co-operation that we could hope for in the selling of British food products in the EC?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I think that it is fair to say that our effort in Europe is very effective. My noble friend may care to know that the British presence at the ANUGA World Food Fair in Cologne last month was the biggest that we have ever had, with some 80 British stands. We can sell into Europe; we are having no trouble in doing that.

§ Lord Mottistone
My Lords, is my noble friend happy that the areas on which Food from Britain concentrates both in Europe and North America are the best ones, particularly for processed foods? Would it not be better if it had an office in the Middle East where there is a new market to be developed, rather than operating in markets that are already well established?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I understand my noble friend's concern. The markets to which he is referring are the Benelux countries, France, Germany and the United States. Those were held by Food from Britain in its budget to be the overseas markets on which it ought to concentrate. It is now for Food from Britain in the light of its future funding to decide whether it will be possible to expand further.

§ Baroness Fisher of Rednal
My Lords, will the noble Lord be giving support to dairy milk chocolate productions in the EC instead of the obnoxious name that might have to be used if we conform to regulations?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, I do not always agree with the noble Baroness, but on this occasion I most cordially do.

§ Lord Leatherland
My Lords, is the Minster aware of the fact that many of the potatoes that we buy in the shops are thickly caked with dirt, and can something be done about that?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, a little dirt never hurt anyone.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, the noble Lord spoke of earmarking £2½, million for the purpose that he described. Can he assure the House that that will survive the Star Chamber process which I believe is on at the present time?

§ Lord Belstead
My Lords, my right honourable friend made a public statement which, in essence, I have repeated in my answers today.