HC Deb 09 May 1988 vol 133 c12W
Mr. Bill Walker

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy not to introduce regulations in relation to agriculture and food in advance of the European Community regulations on the same subjects.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

Our general policy is to avoid imposing regulations on our farmers which will place them at a disadvantage with their counterparts elsewhere in the Community but there are occasions, and the bans on the veal crate system and tooth grinding in sheep are recent examples, where practices are so unacceptable as to require us to take the lead.