§ Sir Russell JohnstonTo ask the Prime Minister what consultations took place between Her Majesty's Government and the Governor of Hong Kong before the decision was taken by the Hong Kong authorities to ban the entry of British beef into the colony. [31118]
§ The Prime MinisterHong Kong has autonomy in all trade matters. The Hong Kong Government's suspension of the import of British beef was imposed after the European Union's decision to prohibit the export of British beef. In announcing the suspension, the Hong Kong Government made clear that they had taken this decision to restore confidence in the beef market in Hong Kong, and that they did not consider it necessary to restrict the import of British beef on health grounds.