§ Dr. David ClarkTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about derogations to EC slaughterhouse regulations in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. GummerAt present, all slaughterhouses wishing to export to other member states must comply in full with EC slaughterhouse regulations; there are no derogations.
However, the European Commission's single market proposals covering this sector include provision for (i) temporary derogations for businesses which will be unable to comply with the proposed rules before the end of 1992; and (ii) permanent derogations from the structural rules for small businesses. The precise nature and scope of these derogations remain to be resolved in the course of negotiations in Brussels.
The Government fully support the proposal to introduce a single hygiene standard in the meat sector and consider that derogations should be available only where there is a genuine need for them. They should not be used as a means of delaying achievement of the single standard.