§ Mr. SproatTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what visits he has made to his EC counterparts in each member state to discuss deregulation matters since 18 April; what agreements came out of such meetings; and what plans he has for making further progress in deregulation matters during the United Kingdom presidency of the EC.
§ Mr. CurryDeregulation considerations are an aspect of all policy discussions. The Minister and I have had a large number of meetings with our EC counterparts since 18 April and deregulation aspects have formed part of our discussions on many policy items. We are particularly conscious of the need to minimise burdens placed on MAFF industries by the EC and during the United Kingdom presidency we will continue to take every opportunity to reinforce this message with our EC counterparts and the Commission.