HC Deb 23 October 1985 vol 84 cc171-2W
Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Council of Agriculture Ministers' meeting held in Luxembourg on 21 and 22 October 1985; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Jopling

The Council heard a brief report from Commissioner Andriessen about his consultations with producer and other interests on the Commission's document entitled "Perspectives for the Common Agricultural Policy". The Commission intends to produce a further memorandum, relating particularly to cereals, in November and more specific proposals in December.

The Council agreed the rate of consumption aid for olive oil for the 1985–86 marketing year. There was a consensus in favour of the rate proposed by the Commission. I judged it right, exceptionally, to agree to the proposal in advance of its consideration by the Scrutiny Committee, bearing in mind that the new rate is required to apply from 1 November.

Similarly, I raised no objection to the formal adoption, in advance of consideration by the Scrutiny Committee, of two minor regulations relating to processed tomatoes and seed potatoes whose substance had been agreed during the recess.

The Council discussed further the Commission's proposals relating to the quota arrangements for sugar for the coming five years but reached no agreement.

The Council also considered a Commission proposal to alter the intervention price for raw sugar agreed earlier this year during the negotiations on farm prices. The Commission believed that tis might facilitate negotiations on were destroyed in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) the European Economic Community in the latest year for which figures are available; and what, in each case, was the estimated value

Mr. Gummer

The following quantities of foodstuffs were withdrawn from the market during the 1983–84 marketing year and are assumed to have been spoilt or wasted:

on the guaranteed price for raw sugar from the ACP countries. The proposal did not secure the Council's agreement.

Finally, the Council considered further the Commission's proposals on minimum welfare standards for battery cages for hens and on hormonal substances used as growth promoters. No agreement was reached. I stressed, in the former case, the urgency of both establishing and enforcing Community-wide standards and, in the latter case, the importance of taking decisions on the basis of scientific evidence and advice.