§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it his policy that all British-produced food, both at the farm gate and at the retail stage, be labelled with country of origin; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CurryWe believe that consumers should know the origin of the products they buy, since it is as a result of public concern that we have set stringent welfare and safety standards in the United Kingdom which are more severe than those of our major competitors. The consumer cannot be informed of this unless food at the retail stage is labelled with the country of origin—whether the United Kingdom or an overseas country. The country of origin is usually clear on branded goods, but it is not always evident on goods marketed under retailers' own labels unless they voluntarily declare it. We are, therefore, encouraging retailers to state the country of origin on own-label goods, and are very pleased that those who attended the Prime Minister's food marketing seminar last month agreed, where appropriate, to do so. We are now approaching other retailers to ask them to do likewise.