HC Deb 28 January 1985 vol 72 cc52-3W
Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the work of the banana quality monitoring committee.

Mr. Jopling

Joint monitoring committees on banana quality were established with the Windward Islands and Jamaica in November 1983 to oversee agreed programmes for improvements in the quality of bananas exported to the United Kingdom. The committees meet periodically to review progress and to decide on any additional measures that may be necessary.

Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what quantity of bananas was imported into the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Mr. Jopling

The information requested is as follows:

Imports of bananas (including plantains)
Quantity (tonnes)
1980 322,481
1981 328,045
1982 327,876
1983 307,169
1984 *†317,348
(Source: Customs and Excise.)
* Estimate.
† Actual imports to November inclusive 292,239.

Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the principal sources of bananas for the British market.

Mr. Jopling

The principal sources are the Windward Islands, Colombia, Surinam, Jamaica, Ecuador and Panama.

Mr. Home Robertson

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the policy of the Government on the importation and consumption of bananas.

Mr. Jopling

Her Majesty's Government have a longstanding commitment to provide preferential access for the whole of the exportable surplus of bananas from Jamaica and the Windward Islands. This reflects the critical importance, in particular to the Windward Islands, of their banana exports to the United Kingdom, which provide the major element of both their exports earnings and their employment.

Imports from other ACP countries have access duty-free and without restriction. Bananas from other sources are imported under licence to meet the balance of market requirements. The results of a review of the Government's policy in this respect were announced by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Trade and Industry the hon. Member for Edinburgh, Central (Mr. Fletcher) in his reply to the hon. Member for Dagenham (Mr. Gould) on 15 November 1984 at column 305.