§ David BurnsideTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of beef sold in Northern Ireland in 2003 was(a) locally produced and (b) imported from Great Britain. [175916]
§ Mr. PearsonTrade in beef is governed by EU single market principles. Statistical information is therefore not available to distinguish beef sales in NI between locally produced and imported beef. Discussions with the industry, however, have indicated that the majority of such sales would be from locally produced animals, with only a small amount relating to GB imports or imports directly from Third countries.