§ Mr. Allan Stewartasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest cost of storing the beef surplus.
§ Mr. GummerThe provision in the European Community budget for 1986 for the cost of storing beef is 264 million European currency units (about £192 million) for public storage and 105 million European currency units (about £76 million) for private storage.
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§ Mr. Allan Stewartasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the most recent figure for the annual production and consumption of beef.
§ Mr. GummerIn 1985 home-fed production of beef and veal in the United Kingdom was 1,121,000 tonnes and consumption of all forms of beef and veal, expressed on a carcase-weight equivalent basis was 1,231,000 tonnes.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on his policy regarding the continuation of the European Community variable beef premium; and what action he is taking in that regard.
§ Mr. GummerAs part of this year's fixing decisions, the Council of Ministers agreed that the European Commission's proposals for reforming the beef regime should be studied further with a view to decisions being taken by 31 December 1986. The regulations governing the beef variable premium scheme were accordingly extended to that date. The Commission's proposal for changes to the beef regime include a Community-wide premium scheme which is intended to replace the variable premium. We are pressing the merits of a slaughter premium scheme in the negotiations which we intend to bring to a conclusion at the December meeting of the Agriculture Council if at all possible. The Commission has, however, undertaken to propose a continuation of the variable premium scheme, taking account of the budgetary situation, if changes to the regime are not agreed in time be brought into effect by the end of the year.
§ Mr. Lathamasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list the countries from which beef taken from cattle with hormone implants is still being imported into the United Kingdom; and what action he intends to take in that regard.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe United Kingdom at present has no restrictions on imports of beef from countries which permit the use of hormone growth promoters, excluding stilbenes and thyrostatic substances, for fattening animals.
From 1 January 1988 intro-Community trade in meat from implanted animals will be prohibited. The EC Commission will negotiate arrangements with non-Community countries to provide equivalent guarantees in respect of their meat exports to the EC by the same date.