§ Mr. Bill WalkerTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give details of measures introduced by the Government within the last three years to assist Scotland's raspberry producers to offset the effect of Eastern European dumping in EC markets.
§ Mr. Michael ForsythAction to prevent low-priced imports of soft fruit from disrupting the Community market is the responsibility of the EC Commission. The United Kingdom Government have taken the lead in the Council of Ministers in calling upon the Commission to exercise its responsibilities in this respect.
As for other sectors of agriculture, soft fruit producers are eligible for aid under general support schemes, not related to the production of a specific commodity. Schemes introduced or revised since 1988 are the farm and conservation grant scheme 1991 (superseding the farm diversification grant scheme 1988 and the EC element of the farm and conservation grant scheme 1989); and a scheme to support investments in marketing and processing which offer lasting economic benefit to producers under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 866/90. In addition, a special scheme was introduced in 1988 to assist raspberry growers to replace plantations of Glen Clova canes with more viable varieties.
The EC Commission is understood to be considering possible structural measures specifically to help the Community soft fruit industry adjust to competition from third countries.