§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the prospects for the beef industry in Wales.
§ Mr. David HuntThe Government recognise the difficult conditions that have faced the beef sector in recent years and have introduced a number of measures designed to assist specialist beef producers. At the EC level, intervention policies have proved a costly and inefficient method of supporting the beef industry. That is why, in our negotiations to reform the common agricultural policy, we insisted on resources being switched away from intervention mechanism and towards more direct aid for producers. I am confident that those forms of support will help the beef industry in Wales to meet the changing demands of the marketplace.