§ Lord Stanley of Alderleyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many British personnel there are in the design and administration section of the sheepmeat regime in the Commission and, bearing in mind the dominant position of the United Kingdom in this particular sphere, whether they consider this representation is adequate and, if not, what action Her Majesty's Government can take or intend to take to rectify the situation.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)Neither of the two executives working in the sheepmeat section of the beef and sheepmeat division is British. As I explained in our recent debate on the sheepmeat regime, officials of the European Commission do not serve in a representative capacity. It is their task to work for the Community as a whole, not to represent a particular national interest. However, the noble Lord is right to suggest that, regardless of nationality, the Commission services must have a thorough knowledge of our sheep sector—the largest in the Community—if they are to operate effectively. The Government therefore maintain regular contact with Vice-President Andriessen and his officials to ensure that they fully understand our production and markets.