§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the importance for Scotland of light grade regions for seed potatoes in the European Community.
§ Sir Hector MonroI very much welcome the successful conclusion of negotiations in Brussels with agreement that high grade seed regions should be established in the European Community. The protection provided by this agreement is of great significance to the Scottish seed potato industry and will help to maintain its worldwide reputation for the protection of high quality potatoes.
It is proposed to give effect to the measures around the middle of the year. This means current arrangements for planting and entry of crops to the seed potato classification scheme will be unchanged for the start of the 1993 season. To comply with the measures some legislative and procedural changes will be necessary later in the year in preparation for the marketing stage of the 1993 crop. The Scottish Office Agriculture and Fisheries Department will provide further details and consult the industry about these changes in due course.