§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the present level of sluicegate prices governing the entry of poultry meat into the European Economic Community and with the working of the formulae for their computation.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithWe are not satisfied that the current sluicegate prices are in line with current production costs. The Commission is reviewing them in accordance with the provisions of the Community regulations.
§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to receive the results of the European Commission's survey of poultry meat hygiene inspection; and whether he will cause it to be published.
§ Mr. WigginOur latest information from Commission officials is that their report should be ready by next month. I shall make the report available584W to interested organisations as soon as it is received.
§ Mr. Colin Shepherdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if it is his intention to seek an amendment to the Poultry Meat Hygiene Regulations covering the sale of immersion chilled birds subsequently sold fresh rather than frozen when the present derogation expires in 1982.
§ Mr. WigginThe requirement that immersion chilled poultry meat should subsequently be sold frozen and not fresh and the provision for a derogation for domestic sales until August 1982 are contained in EEC directive 78/50. The Commission last year proposed an amendment to the directive which would remove the freezing requirement. We have strongly supported this proposal, but it has not so far been agreed.