§ 61. Mr. Guy Barnettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his recent negotiations in the European Economic Community about isoglucose.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithAfter the judgment of the European Court, which declared invalid the levy on isoglucose production imposed under then existing regulations, the Commission in March proposed a new interim regime for the year 1979–80, based on quotas and a levy. The general United Kingdom aim is that the Community regime for isoglucose should 269W allow for reasonable scope for this new technology on a basis of fair competition with other sweeteners. In the discussion of the Commission's proposals for an interim regime our main concern was that it should contain nothing likely to prejudice the attainment of this objective in the post 1980 arrangements and that it should provide an equitable quota for the United Kingdom industry. Other member States attempted to make the regime more restrictive by higher levies, retrospective application of levies and more limited quotas; and to forge a direct link between isoglucose and sugar quotas.
In the outcome we secured improvements in the Commission's original proposal which will ensure that the United Kingdom industry has a fair quota in relation on its capacity and avoid prejudice to the post 1980 regime. The average rate of levy applying to United Kingdom isoglucose production in the coming year should now be no more than about one-fifth of the rate previously applying.