§ Mr. Skeetasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of Dutch vegetable production is exported to the United Kingdom; and whether he is prepared to impose duty on such imports to the United Kingdom where the products have been subsidised by special natural gas prices permitted in the Netherlands but unacceptable under the Treaty of Rome.
§ Mrs. FennerAccording to the latest figures which have been published in the Netherlands, in 1980 just over 10 per cent. of Dutch vegetable production in glasshouses was imported into the United Kingdom.
We have no powers to impose a duty on imports of vegetables from Holland. As my right hon. Friend explained on 23 November in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dartford (Mr. Dunn), we are determined to retain a viable and successful British glasshouse industry and are continuing for a further year to give financial aid on fuel oil which is used for glasshouse heating in order to help growers counter unfair competition from imported Dutch produce.