HC Deb 02 December 1988 vol 142 cc428-9W
Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he will make it his policy to support a system of regional quotas to interested slaughtering plants on the basis of recent volumes as a means of ensuring an element of competition for available quotas and maintaining a place for smaller meat plants if proposals to invite tenders for intervention purchasing of beef proceed.

Mr. Viggers

No. Little information is available on how the tendering system for beef intervention proposed by the EC Commission will operate but regional or slaughter plant quotas based on recent volumes is not envisaged.

Mr. Beggs

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps will be taken by Her Majesty's Government to prevent large monopolistic interests from gaining control of the meat industry in Northern Ireland to the detriment of small meat plants by the proposed tendering for beef intervention.

1982 1983 1984 11985 21985 1986 1987 31988
Deaths 97 77 64 47 7 61 93 87
Injuries 525 510 866 828 88 1,450 1,130 923
Shooting attacks 382 290 230 169 27 285 489 305
Explosions 219 266 193 128 20 172 236 220
1 1 January to 14 November.
2 15 November to 31 December.
3 To 31 October.