§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now expects the review of sluicegate prices governing the entry of poultrymeat into the European Economic Community 658W will be completed and acted upon; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom producers' Christmas market is not put in jeopardy by the failure of the Commission to complete its review in time.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithWe are pressing the Commission to submit proposals for consideration by the Council of Ministers as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he will take to protect the United Kingdom poultrymeat industry from unfair competition, especially from Holland and France, which is enabled to take place by the absence of decisions being able to be taken based upon the European Economic Community veterinary survey of poultrymeat hygiene and costs.
§ Mr. WigginMeasures of the kind which my hon. Friend appears to have in mind would not provide the required solution. What is needed is an authoritative report on the implementation of the directive in the various member States, followed by effective Community action. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave him on 21 July on the representations which we have made to the Commission on the delay in producing its report.—[Vol. 989, c.98.]