§ Mr Andrew SmithTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to the letter of 25 June to the hon. Member for Oxford, East, concerning banana exports from the Caribbean after 1992, whether price guarantees are included in his assurance of preferential access arrangements for Caribbean banana exporters.
§ Mr. CurryOur objective is an effective preferential arrangement after 1992, which will enable a continuing flow of bananas from the Caribbean into the Community market, in line with our commitments under the Lomé convention. Current preferential access to the United Kingdom for Caribbean bananas does not guarantee prices. Commission proposals for post-1992 banana trade have not yet emerged. We cannot predict the mechanism by which preferential access will be protected.