§ Claire WardTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the UK Government's position on reform of the EU sugar regime. [162903]
§ Alun MichaelThe Government have already made clear that they share the European Commission's view that extension of the present regime beyond 2006 is not sustainable. We have also said that we are looking for a market based approach in line with major CAP reforms achieved in June 2003 across most other sectors.
However, sugar reform raises a complex set of issues, including implications for developing countries, and we are still considering the best way ahead, taking account of the views received in our consultation exercise which closed on 16 January and which we are still assessing.