HC Deb 01 May 1984 vol 59 cc134-5W
Mr. Bermingham

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether, in view of the quotas now being imposed on home producers, steps are being taken to restrict the import of potatoes from the European Economic Community.

Mr. MacGregor

Quota arrangements have formed part of the potato marketing scheme since the present scheme came into force in 1955. Amendments to the scheme recently proposed by the Potato Marketing Board do not alter the basis of these arrangements, but provision is being made for the transfer of quota between registered growers to be simplified. So far as imports are concerned, the United Kingdom operated controls on imported potatoes under national guarantee arrangements until April 1979, when the European Court of Justice ruled against the continuation of such controls where imports from other Community countries were concerned. Since that date, imports of potatoes from other member states have been subject to restriction on plant health grounds only.