§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community on present known terms, the present system whereby Great Britain is able to control the entry of livestock, cattle, animals and birds will be affected; and whether Great Britain will be able to maintain her laws on quarantine, health laws and rules of entry of meat.
§ Mr. PriorIf the present Community régime were applied without alteration, some changes in our import procedures would be necessary. For example, we would have to substitute a system of inspection of animals at the ports of entry for our present quarantine arrangements; and we would not be able to maintain our existing ban on stock vaccinated against foot-and-mouth disease, although imports would be permitted only from disease-free areas. But these and other questions of animal and public health controls which would be applied to livestock and meat are at present being discussed with the Community.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the adoption of the European Economic Community's common agricultural policy covering hops would affect the British hop growing industry on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the Commission of the European Economic Community has agreed to the introduction of a compensatory levy on fats and oils; how this levy compares with the previous proposal for a $60 per ton tax on margarine and some other vegetable oils; and to 243W what extent, on Great Britain's entry into the Common Market, this will affect the supply and price of these commodities in this country.
§ Mr. PriorI am aware that the Community has provided for the possibility of compensatory levies on imported oilseeds, oils and fats as a safeguard against community producers being injured by the volume of low-priced imports. This has nothing to do with the proposals for an internal tax considered within the Commission in 1968. If applied, it would have no overall effect on the supply or price of oils and fats here if the United Kingdom joined the Community.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a detailed statement on the costs in finance, loss of labour, and unemployment on the implementation of the policy of grubbing-up fruit trees; and to what extent such action is needed for Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. PriorGrubbing up grants have been available since 1960 to growers who in the normal course of good husbandry wish to renew their orchards or to put the land to some other agricultural use. It would be difficult to assess the full economic value to growers of grubbing up old and unwanted trees but I certainly would not expect this to result in loss of efficiency or wastage of labour. As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for for Maidstone (Mr. John Wells), on 15th June, I now propose to introduce a higher rate of grant, tied to a no replanting condition, to encourage the grubbing of uneconomic apple and pear orchards. These orchards are a drag on the industry whether or not we join the European Economic Community.—[Vol. 819, c.57-8.]