§ Mr. Ralph HowellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will press the European Commission to introduce equivalent standards for egg producers as those now pertaining in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement on measures being taken to ensure equality of competition between European egg producers.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonI refer my hon. Friend to the replies given to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Mr. Davies) on 4 April at column51 and the hon. Member for Angus, East (Mr. Welsh) on 20 April at column 280.
490WMy Department has supported the EC Commission's initiative in proposing measures to deal with a range of zoonoses, including salmonella, on a Communitywide basis, and is contributing constructively to ensure that progress is as rapid as possible.