§ Mr. PlaskittTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will review the regulations regarding the labelling of beef in supermarkets. [25801]
§ Mr. RookerI have no plans to review arrangements for the labelling of beef in supermarkets. The Government have recently launched the beef labelling scheme, which takes full effect from 31 March 1998. From that date all retail outlets, including supermarkets, will be required to seek prior approval from a competent authority for use of any detailed information, such as geographic origin, which cannot easily be verified at the point of sale. While the Scheme will be voluntary in the first instance I expect the majority of beef sold retail will be covered.