HC Deb 24 October 1985 vol 84 cc253-4W
Mr. Marlow

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take action to reduce combined United Kingdom and European Economic Community agricultural subsidies payable in the United Kingdom to a level less than the value of the product.

Mr. Gummer

The support arrangements for all the major agricultural products are applied according to measures laid down in regulations agreed by the Council of Agriculture Ministers. This enables the countries of the European Community to make joint decisions on these important matters. We have consistently argued and continue to argue that in order to reduce the cost of this support and to control the growth of surplus production the Council should adopt a more restrictive price policy.