§ Baroness Gould of Potternewtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the Written Answer given by Baroness Hayman to the House on 31 October 2000, Official Report, col. WA 94, whether they will report further progress on the Chardon LL hearing currently under way in the UK. [HL4584]
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Hayman)In agreement with Agriculture Ministers in the devolved administrations, we have asked Mr Alun Alesbury—the person appointed to conduct the hearing—to consider adjourning the Chardon LL hearing until further notice pending further consideration of the testing system used by France to establish distinctness, uniformity and stability.
Details of the French testing system were given in the MAFF press notice of 31 October. Other member states in the EU also rely on French data, and the views of the Commission on the status of the French procedures are being sought.