§ 9. Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his policy for cereal market support during the transitional stage should Great Britain join the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartMarket support during the transitional period will be secured through the common agricultural policy. Levies and intervention prices will be adjusted by six steps in five years to bring our market prices up to Community levels.
§ 41. Mr. Molyneauxasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what derogations there are from the European Economic Community agricultural regulations concerning the import of feeding stuffs from countries outside the Community; and whether he will discuss 102W with the Community the possibility of such a derogation in relation to Northern Ireland.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe E.E.C. agricultural regulations provide for two specific derogations in respect of imports of feeding-stuffs from outside the Community, as follows:
(a) The levy on imports of feed grains into Italy from third countries may be reduced by 7.50 units of account (about £3.20) per metric ton. This is a transitional measure which is due to lapse on 31st July, 1972.
(b) Imports of certain processed cereal products (including feeding-stuffs) are normally subject to a levy comprising a variable element plus a fixed component. The levy on imports of such products originating in the Associated African and Malagasy States or in the Overseas Countries and Territories is, however, reduced by the amount of the fixed component. In addition, for certain products (manioc, etc., and its flour, and certain starches) the levy may be further reduced by a proportion of the variable component. Under present regulations, these provisions will operate until 31st January, 1975.
We shall keep in mind the special agricultural problems of Northern Ireland in our future discussions with the Community.
§ Mr. Moateasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the approximate percentage increase in Common Market food prices since July, 1971.
§ Mr. PriorRetail food prices for the Common Market as a whole are not available. The latest published information for individual countries relates to October, 1971, and the increases since July, 1971, are as set out below:
103W
- Belgium—0.9 per cent.
- France—1.9 per cent.
- Germany—0.8 per cent.
- Italy—1.4 per cent. (up to September only)
- Netherlands—2.6 per cent.
Sources:
Belgiurn—Bulletin de Statistique.
France—Bulletin Mensuel de Statistique.
Germany—Statistischer Monatsbericht.
Italy—Bollettino Mensile di Statistica.
Netherlands—Prijsindexcijfers van de Gezinsconsumptie.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he is aware that the Common Market hygiene rules which will apply on Great Britain's entry into the Common Market, so far as poultry is concerned, will prevent poultry breeders from selling chickens and turkeys in their rough plucked state; how he estimates this will affect the sale of the 4 million turkeys and 50 million chickens sold undressed each year; and how this will affect Norfolk in particular;
(2) whether he is aware of the concern felt by the British Poultry Federation on the ban of the sale of rough plucked turkeys and chickens on Great Britain's entry into the Common Market; what approaches he has received from the Association concerning this subject; and what steps he proposes to take.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe Government are in continuous touch with the poultry industry about the requirements of the common agricultural policy. The prohibition of the sale of uneviscerated poultry in the United Kingdom would not have to take effect until 1976, and in view of the changing nature of the poultry industry it is impossible at this stage to say what the effect would be. However, once we are in the Community we shall be able to ensure that the conditions of our industry are taken into account in the development of Community policy.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the agreement he has reached in Brussels that Great Britain will, when entering the European Economic Community, cease by 1976 to call British home produced wines by the latter name will apply to home-produced and privately-produced wines, sold or given away in Great Britain, to tonic wines and holy wines, such as those produced in Buckfastleigh; and how this agreement will be enforced.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartI would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him104W on 20th December. It is only in cases where the word "wine" in the name of a product would be incompatible with Community rules that it will have to be discontinued. The Community has yet to complete drafting and to bring into effect all the relevant regulations on nomenclature and description and, for this reason, the precise extent to which present British descriptions will be affected eventually is a matter for discussion and decision in the future. We shall, of course, be fully consulted by the Community. Community regulations will become part of our own law and will be subject to enforcement accordingly.—[Vol. 828, c. 248–9.]
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the negotiations which have been taking place in Brussels on the British demand that, on entry into the European Economic Community, British brewers will be able to continue to use the female hops for beer-making; and whether he will give a further pledge that he will not agree with the countries of the Six that on entry British beer will have to be made from the male hop.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartI have nothing to add to the reply given to the hon. Member yesterday by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.—[Vol. 829, c.28–29.]
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a revised estimate of entry on the cost of living as set out in paragraph 88 of the White Paper, The United Kingdom and the European Economic Community, Command Paper No. 4715, using as the basis the cost of living index figure in Great Britain as at 1st December, 1971, and comparable figures with the European Economic Community at that date.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he intends to take, prior to Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community, to encourage 105W home food production and to limit imports; to what extent this will be on the basis of increasing prices paid to farmers for their commodities; what this will cost in the current year; and how this will affect the costs of Great Britain's entry into the European Economic Community so far as food prices are concerned.
§ Mr. PriorAgricultural production continues to expand, and entry to the E.E.C. will afford greater opportunities. Prices are a matter for determination after the annual review, but the hon. Member is aware that they are higher in the E.E.C.