HC Deb 01 February 1978 vol 943 cc161-2W
Mr. Lee

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be in a position to inform the House of the compensatory assistance from the European Economic Commission asked for following the judgment of the Court of the Community ordering the cessation of the United Kingdom pigmeat subsidy, first introduced by him with effect from 31st January 1977; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Bishop

Details of Community measures were given in Press notices issued by my Department on 9th and 10th June and in a reply given to the hon. Member for Holland with Boston (Mr. Body) and others on 30th June 1977.—[Vol. 934, c. 523–6.] Copies of the Press notices are available in the Library of the House. My right hon. Friend made clear that these measures, which included the abolition of the accession compensatory amounts on our pigmeat imports and improvements in the scheme of aids for private storage, were helpful but were not enough, and he has continued his efforts to secure a fairer method of calculating the monetary compensatory amounts in this sector.