§ 17. Mr. Ian TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to reduce trade barriers in the food industry in preparation for the single European market.
§ Mr. GummerThe European Commission proposed a detailed legislative programme for food law in its 1985 White Paper "Completing the Internal Market." A number of measures are already under discussion in the Council, of which the most important relate to food additives and labelling, foods for particular nutritional uses and food contact materials. We are working for early agreement on these. A number of further proposals remain to be tabled by the Commission.
§ 22. Mr. WattsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made by the food industry in anticipation of unrestricted trade within the European Community from 1992.
§ Mr. GummerI know that the industry is aware of the challenge posed by the creation of a single market by the end of 1992 and is preparing itself in a variety of ways to take advantage of the new opportunities that are opening up. I intend to do everything I can do to encourage it to do so.
§ 41. Mr. HunterTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his assessment of the implications for United Kingdom agriculture of the creation of a single European Community market in 1992.
§ Mr. MacGregorIn common with other sectors of the United Kingdom economy, agriculture should stand to benefit from the opportunities created by the completion of a single market of 320 million people, provided that we remain competitive and conscious of the marketing opportunities for selling the output of the British agriculture and food industries. A key factor will be that monetary compensatory amounts represent an important obstacle to a single market. I therefore strongly support the Commission's aim of abolishing them by the end of 1992.