§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will take steps to ensure that no change which discriminates against those mountain sheep which do not normally bring lambs until they are two years old is made in the definition of those sheep which are eligible for premium payments under the proposals of the European Community for a single market by 1992; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe redefinition of an eligible ewe for the sheep annual premium scheme is one of a number of proposals which the Commission has put forward in its review of the sheepmeat regime. However, details of administrative and control procedures, which are important considerations in assessing whether a new definition would be beneficial or workable, are still awaited. Accordingly, no detailed assessment can yet be made of the Commission's proposal.