§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when regulation 765/86 was considered by the management committee of the EEC's common agricultural policy; which nations fail to benefit from the special arrangements provided by the regulation; which nations have so far benefited from sales under the regulation; and how the representative of Her Majesty's Government on that Committee voted on the regulation.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant to his reply, 25 November 1986, c. 187]: Regulation 765/86 was adopted by the 341W Commission on 15 March 1986 following an opinion from the Milk and Milk Products Management Committee on 28 February. The regulation applies only to butter at least 18 months old and the list of eligible destinations is restricted to the USSR, Mongolia, India and Pakistan in order to avoid competition with normal commercial sales. The regulation provides at least some return for food which might otherwise not find a market at all. The United Kingdom voted in favour of the regulation for the reasons given in reply to my hon. Friend on 16 April 1986, at column 331. Prices are set by competitive tender and to date all bids have been for sales to the USSR.