§ 21. Mr. Spenceasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what will be the effect of the system of threshold prices in operation in the European Economic Community on British farmers who have not hitherto enjoyed this protection, if the United Kingdom joins the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis system will give British producers preference in the markets of the enlarged Community over imports from third countries.
§ 31. Mrs. Joyce Butlerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he intends to revise the regulations concerning antibiotics in animal feeds, which he introduced following the Swann Report, in order to bring Great Britain into line with the practice in Common Market countries.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe regulations are made by the United Kingdom Health Ministers. We are at present discussing the position with the Community.
§ 33. Mr. Strangasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the main agricultural matters still to be discussed with the European Economic Community before 1st January, 1973, should Great Britain decide to join.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe main outstanding questions relate to the common fisheries policy, animal health, the certification of seeds, the use of antibiotics in animal feed and food standards.
§ 37. Mr. Bryant Godman Irvineasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what opportunities for increased sales of cheese he estimates will be available to British cheese producers if Great Britain joins the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThis opportunity should be good.
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§ Mr. Strangasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further representations he has received from the National Farmers' Union regarding Great Britain's possible entry into the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe President of the National Farmers' Union wrote to my right hon. Friend on 18th June about his Council's resolution on the negotiations, and he replied on 8th July.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what undertaking he has now received from the European Economic Community that, should Great Britain enter, no changes in the production grants at present payable to British farmers will be sought by the European Economic Community before 1977.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThere is no requirement to make any change on entry. Production grants are subject to review in the light of economic circumstances whether or not we join the Community.
§ Dr. Gilbertasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the increase in the imports of seedless hops that would be necessary if the present European Commissions' draft regulations on hops were applied to this country.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartIt is too soon to make any assessment. We do not know what the result will be of the Hops Marketing Board's growing trials for seedless hops; nor do we know how the draft regulations, if they are approved by the Council of Ministers, might be applied here. All new Community legislation will be subject to discussion of any adaptations that may be needed by applicant countries.
§ Dr. Gilbertasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions his officials have had with the Hop Merchants' Association with respect to the draft regulations on hops being proposed by the officials of the European Commission to the Council of Ministers.
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§ Mr. Anthony StodartMy Department's officials have met representatives of the Hop Merchant's Association to discuss the E.E.C.'s draft hop regulations.
§ Dr. Gilbertasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the average price of hops obtaining in the United Kingdom and in the countries of the European Economic Community for the last three years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe average producer prices of hops in the United Kingdom and West Germany in the years 1966–67, 1967–68 and 1968–69 are given below : information in respect of other Community countries is not available :
£ per metric ton Country 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 United Kingdom* 703.05 638.46 643.53 West Germany† 996.81 865.78 785.18 Source : * Hops Marketing Board. † Statistisches Jahrbuch 1970.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will now publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the prices of meat and dairy produce as at April, 1971, in each of the countries of the Six and Great Britain.
§ Mr. PriorI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Thirsk and Malton (Sir R. Turton) on 28th June in which I explained that the official price quotations for the various countries concerned are not in a form which enable accurate comparisons to be made.—[Vol. 820, c.44.]
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on what basis the estimate of food price rises if Great Britain enters the Common Market was arrived at in the Government's White Paper; and what discussions took place with the National Farmers Union, the Agricultural Workers Union, and other interested parties in forming an assessment of these price rises.
§ Mr. PriorThe estimated increase in retail food prices takes account of the effect on our current first-hand prices of adopting the existing price regime under232W the common agricultural policy; of related changes in the cost of marketing, processing and distribution; and of likely developments in the patterns of United Kingdom consumption and production. In making these estimates, I have taken account of discussions which have been held with the trades concerned.