HC Deb 12 May 1982 vol 23 cc263-4W
Mr. Crouch

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he is satisfied that the European Economic Community Commission will be able to police the arrangements for the disposal of alcohol distilled from wine resulting from the 1982 exceptional distillation operation, in view of the problems encountered in similar operations;

(2) whether consideration was given to embodying the EEC Council's and Commission's undertakings on the United Kingdom ethyl alcohol industry in the EEC regulation (701/82) authorising the exceptional distillation of 6.5 million hectolitres of wine;

(3) whether he is satisfied with the terms of the guarantee from the EEC Council and Commission concerning the United Kingdom ethyl alcohol industry, under which the Commission retains sole judgment on whether the ethyl alcohol market will be disturbed, and which contains no provision whereby the agreement of Her Majesty's Government is required before a disposal is made;

(4) why the undertaking of the EEC Council and Commission concerning the United Kingdom ethyl alcohol industry contains no condition that Community aid for wine alcohol disposal be limited so that its floor price is equal to the grain alcohol price, in view of the implications for the United Kingdom ethyl alcohol and Scotch whisky industries;

(5) why the guarantee received from the EEC Council and Commission concerning the United Kingdom ethyl alcohol industry is in the form of a joint draft declaration by the Council and Commission; why it refers only to 1982; and why it is stated to be without prejudice to the proposed amendment (COM(81) 408 Final) to the 1979 wine regulation.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The undertakings made by the Council and Commission in connection with the exceptional distillation under regulation 701/82 were designed to protect the markets for ethyl alcohol, of which the United Kingdom is a major producer, and were included at my request. No such safeguards applied to previous distillations. I am satisfied with the legal framework and administrative procedures for applying these safeguards.

Safeguards appropriate to future distillations are still under discussion in Brussels in the context of the reform of the wine regime.