§ Mr. Bodyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which regulations of the EEC now govern baking tests for cereals; and whether he is satisfied that the tests are the most appropriate for wheat grown in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BishopThe Council of Ministers agreed in 1976–77, in the context of a restructuring of EEC cereals prices, that breadmaking wheat should be supported at a level set by a reference price fixed for wheat of medium breadmaking quality.
Since it has not yet been able to complete the necessary work on an acceptable test of medium quality wheat—for example a "baking test"—the reference price is, as an interim measure, currently set for wheat of a minimum breadmaking quality in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1152/77. "Minimum quality" is determined by a test of the properties of the dough produced from a sample of grain in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1155/77.
This test, which was designed as a general test of minimum quality for intervention purposes rather than of specific suitability for particular types of bread, is appropriate to wheat grown anywhere in the Community.