§ Lord Stanley of Alderleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether importers of beef into the United Kingdom from the Irish Republic are entitled to claim the beef variable premium and what proportion of that claim is paid by the United Kingdom Government to the Irish exporter and why.
§ The Earl of SwintonUnder the terms of successive EC regulations authorising the continuation of the328WA beef variable premium scheme in the United Kingdom, provision has been made for the payment of premium on imports of Irish beef which meet the prescribed standard. Similar arrangements applied under the fatstock deficiency payments scheme before the United Kingdom joined the Community. The EC regulations provide for the United Kingdom to bear 60 per cent. of the cost, as in the case of British beef.
§ Lord Stanley of Alderleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will revise the conditions on which beef is accepted for intervention in the United Kingdom; and what action they will take to prevent a collapse in the beef market following the recent agreement in Brussels in "claw back" of beef exported from the United Kingdom.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Lord Belstead)Clawback will apply only to such of our exports of beef as have received the beef variable premium. Most of our exports consist of cow beef and will therefore escape the charge. The industry will continue to benefit substantially from the beef variable premium scheme and from back-up support from intervention which has since 9th April been based on revised arrange-ments, following the agreement to adopt the new Community-wide carcase classification grid.