Lamb Exports to France (Hansard, 15 January 1992)

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether full compensation has now been paid to British exporters of lamb to France in respect of the damage caused to their product by attacks on that product in France; and whether these attacks have been repeated in recent months.

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, of the nine claims for compensation submitted on behalf of British exporters since summer 1990, the French authorities have paid three and agreed to pay four others. The two outstanding claims are currently under consideration. There have been no reported incidents in France since 21st October 1991.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, I thank my noble friend for that reply. Does it indicate that the action taken by Her Majesty's Government has succeeded in checking that very unpleasant activity by a number of French farmers? Can we hope that it will not be repeated?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, I certainly hope to reassure my noble friend that such is the case. The French authorities have provided special protection to consignments travelling through France and the police have been brought in where necessary. As I said, there have been no further incidents since October.

Lord Bruce of Donington
My Lords, will the noble Earl confirm that the term "full compensation" as used in the Question comprises the full intervention price of the material plus interest to the farmers concerned? Or was it some compromise compensation that was agreed?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
No, my Lords. So far as I understand, that is not paid. But the figure to which we referred in an earlier Question —I believe it was last November—was not conjectural.

§ Lord Harmar-Nicholls
My Lords, is there any evidence to show that the people who organise the damage to British exporters pay part of the compensation? Does he agree that, although the French Government may impose it as a matter of general taxation, that does not put an obstacle into the way of people who on more than one occasion damaged our exporting potential?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, I understand that 20 people have received suspended prison sentences and fines in the first cases on which judgments have been pronounced. Further judgments are still outstanding. The Government are encouraged by the willingness of the French authorities to press for prosecution.

§ Lord Mackie of Benshie
My Lords, can the noble Earl tell the House the value of that trade with France and how it compares with the trade in lamb to Germany? Does he agree that the German market is one which ought to be exploited? The Germans eat little lamb and are both rich and like their food. Does he feel that it would be a very useful market which at present is neglected?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, France is by far our biggest export market. In 1990 we exported 64,000 tonnes of meat and livestock—71 per cent. of our export trade. Exports to other member states comprised 24,000 tonnes, with only 2,300 tonnes going to third countries.
So far as concerns Germany, the Meat and Livestock Commission exhibits at European trade fairs, including Berlin Trade Week, at which British lamb would be exhibited and thus promoted.

§ Lord Molloy
My Lords, does the noble Earl agree that there are many aspects of grave importance in the question put by the noble Lord, Lord Boyd-Carpenter? Will he say what representations were made to the Government of France? What further representations will be made if all the British exporters who have suffered are not compensated properly? That is one of the many thrusts of the Question.

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, I can only repeat what I said at this Dispatch Box last November; that is, that the French Government have given assurances on several occasions that compensation for losses arising as a direct result of incidents will be paid.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, will compensation extend to the drivers of the lorries? They are frightened, terrorised, and sometimes injured during attacks by French farmers. Will the noble Earl answer that?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, the noble Lord raises an interesting point. However, 261 my understanding is that to date there have been no attacks on drivers. It is only the sheep in the lorries that have been attacked.

§ Lord Gallacher
My Lords, have Her Majesty's Government any contingency planning against the possibility of the resumption of those attacks? We on this side of the House deplore such attacks. Will the noble Earl say whether there is any element of selectivity in the attacks which have so far taken place? I have in mind the fact that the exports of lamb to France from the Republic of Ireland are on the increase. The noble Earl has already said that France is our most important market. The change in the sheepmeat regime now in force means that the United Kingdom will have considerably to increase its exports to France if the disadvantages inherent in the change are to be avoided. Is there any element of selectivity or is it simply that the Irish are better at marketing than we are?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, a system was introduced in October 1991 involving the Meat and Livestock Commission and the British Embassy in Paris to provide details to the French authorities of consignments bound for France in order that appropriate police protection could be afforded. That system was suspended in December following a sustained period of calm. However, it could easily be reintroduced.
On the noble Lord's other point, incidents have not been specifically directed at the United Kingdom. We are aware of three incidents involving Irish consignments of beef and lamb, two incidents involving Spanish consignments, and other incidents involving consignments from Belgium, the Netherlands, Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria. Last but not least, imports of Italian wine have also been subjected to French producer action.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, will the noble Earl reconsider his reply to my supplementary question? Lorry drivers had their lorries forcibly stopped. They were physically pulled out of their cabs and saw their cargoes being dragged from lorries and burned. That is terrorism. The drivers were terrorised. They must have been frightened out of their wits, and anxious. I appreciate that the noble Earl may not have been expecting this question from me, but will he reconsider his answer and perhaps write to me?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, I most certainly will write to the noble Lord. I repeat what I said earlier. So far as I understand the position, no driver has suffered physical injury. Certainly from what the noble Lord says, drivers have been terrified; I can understand that. But as far as I know that is as far as the matter goes.

§ Lord Boyd-Carpenter
My Lords, did my noble friend's reference to suspended prison sentences exclude the possibility that some people who committed these violent and intimidating offences have not been put in prison by the French authorities?

§ The Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
My Lords, I shall have to take advice on that point and write to my noble friend. As I understand it, there would be no reason why the guilty should not go to gaol.