§ Lord O'Haganasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they ate satisfied with the working of the Poultry Meat (Hygiene) Regulations 1976 (SI 1976/1209); and whether they will make a statement.
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Ferrers)Local authorities have made considerable progress in implementing these regulations. However, a recent European Commission inquiry has confirmed that some other member states have not made similar progress and that there are also differences in the approach to charging. We have emphasised in Brussels the urgent need for fair application of the directive and the Commission are now working on proposals which they have undertaken to submit to the Council shortly.