HC Deb 08 May 1986 vol 97 c239W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied that EEC nations are able to identify which agricultural products imported from the East German state bodies were actually grown or processed in other East European states; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Fenner

Discussions are in progress in Brussels on these issues.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any information about the extent to which agricultural produce in East Germany has been affected by radiation from the Soviet nuclear power station at Chernobyl; and if there is any evidence that it has been affected less than produce grown in Romania and Hungary.

Mrs. Fenner

Information on the extent of radioactivity in agricultural produce is being collected and will be studied by the appropriate authorities in Brussels.

Mr. Robert Maclennan

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether the royalty income and receipts from sales from the National Seed Development Organisation is available directly to finance further breeding work.

Mrs. Fenner

Fifty per cent. of the royalty income from the NSDO, together with all dividend payments, accrues to the Consolidated Fund for extra receipts. The remainder of the royalty and sales income is used to finance NSDO's business of the production and marketing of state-bred varieties. NSDO income is therefore not available directly to finance breeding work.

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