§ Q16. Mr. Lathamasked the Prime Minister what organisiations representive of Jewish opinion in the United Kingdom she has met in an official capacity in the last four months; and what discussions have been held about United Kingdom-Israeli bilateral relations.
§ The Prime MinisterI addressed the 220th anniversary dinner of the board of deputies of British Jews on 15 December and had the opportunity to meet a number of members of organisations representing Jewish opinion in the United Kingdom. The Government keep in close touch with these organisations with whom they share a desire to improve Anglo-Israel relations.
§ Q18. Mr. Greenwayasked the Prime Minister if she will take steps to seek to ban all food imports from Poland by European Economic Community countries.
§ The Prime MinisterAccording to our information, on 14 or 15 December 1981 the economic committee of the Polish Council of Ministers took a decision to stop exports of foodstuffs from Poland. It is impossible to establish how fully this decision is being implemented, but as far as we can establish food exports to the United Kingdom at least have ceased for the time being.
I do not believe it would be helpful to seek to ban imports of Polish food into the Community. Poland's food exports in normal times are small in comparison with her domestic needs, had already dropped with the fall in food production and, if resumed, seem bound to be at significantly lower levels than normal.