HC Deb 30 April 1991 vol 190 cc169-70W
Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline his policy on the selection of United Kingdom representatives to GATT.

Mr. Curry

The European Commission negotiates in GATT on behalf of member states and in consultation with them. Attendance of Ministers or officials at any meeting is determined in accordance with the nature of the meeting and the subjects under discussion.

Mr. Ron Davies

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are his Department's procedures applicants for entry, the number of applicants accepted for entry and the numbers of successful applicants who have subsequently withdrawn from each scheme.

Mr. Curry

The table shows the number of applications in each of the 10 ESAs in England, together with the number of agreements reached for each year of the schemes operations. No agreement holders have subsequently withdrawn.

for giving formal advice to the United Kingdom delegations to GATT, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, and their respective committees.

Mr. Curry

The European Commission negotiates in GATT on behalf of the member States, and in close consultation with their representatives. My officials prepare negotiating briefs for the United Kingdom permanent delegates to GATT which take into account the wide range of United Kingdom interests in the subjects under discussion, and attend important meetings with them. In the codex, the Commission negotiates on matters within Community competence, while on others member States speak individually. The United Kingdom delegation to codex meetings includes officials from my Department when appropriate and may include industry or consumer representatives who can be consulted in the course of discussion.

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