§ 43. Mr. Heathcoat-Amoryasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he has agreed with the European Economic Community to curb overproduction of cereals.
§ Mr. MacGregorWhile pursuing a restrictive price policy, the Community has not adopted any measure designed to curb the volume of cereals production directly. We shall continue to press in the current Council meetings on this year's price proposals for a policy of price restraint as the best means of securing a better balance in the cereals market.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the measures taken subsequent to the agriculture package of 31 March 1984 to curb the production of cereals; how effective they have proved in practice; and what steps the Government are now taking to ensure that expenditure on cereals under the common agricultural policy is reduced.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe Community has not adopted any measure designed to curb the volume of cereals production directly. Action to reduce expenditure on cereals under the common agricultural policy must be taken at a Community level. While the Government would urge an even more stringent approach, I welcome the European Commission's recognition of the need for a restrictive price policy, and particularly its proposals for a reduction in cereals support prices and the elimination of intervention for breadmaking wheat at the minimum reference price for the next marketing year. These measures would be a useful step towards the objective of reducing expenditure and also of securing a better balance in the cereals market itself.