§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is now able to make a statement on the negotiations which his officials have been having in Brussels on the question of the colour and content of such items as kippers, bloaters, sausages, meat pies, chocolates, cakes and custards.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe E.E.C. has as yet no directives on individual commodities. If proposals of this kind should come forward, the Community has agreed that we should be consulted in advance. Discussions with the Community about directives on additives to food, including 69W colours, are to be followed by the consideration by an expert group of our proposals for colours. The criteria of acceptability will be those of safety-in-use and need, adopted previously by the Six, and followed in this country by the Food Additives and Contaminants Committee.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that in the European Economic Community slaughter premiums on 235,000 cows have been paid since the Community initiated its plan to cut milk production in the countries of the Six, that farmers received $200 for each cow slaughtered and $200 for each cow whose milk does not reach the market; to what extent this will affect British farmers on Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community; and at what costs.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThese schemes have been withdrawn.