§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why there is no guarantee threshold for Mediterranean products under the common agricultural policy.
§ Mr. MacGregorI refer the hon. Member to paragraphs 7 to 9 and annex III of the note on the settlement of CAP prices for 1984–85, which was sent to the Library of the House on 10 May. This makes it clear that in the settlement the Council agreed in principle to introduce guarantee thresholds, as the United Kingdom had constantly urged, for products in or likely to be in surplus, and products on which expenditure is rising rapidly taking into account concessionary arrangements for imports from third countries, and that there are guarantee thresholds now in operation for the following predominantly Mediterranean products: durum wheat, sunflower seeds, currants, sultanas, tomato products and cotton.