Lord Bruce of Doningtonasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the name of the United Kingdom representative on the Management Committee for Tobacco established under the provisions of Article 16(1) of Regulation (EEC) No 727/70 of the Council; whether it is their practice to require, receive and consider reports from him; and whether, prior to agreeing to the establishment of the European Commission's draft budget 1994 provision of 1264 million ecu (£973 million) for Tobacco support, they consulted that representative.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Earl Howe)The support arrangements for tobacco, as for other agricultural products, are decided by the Council of Ministers in accordance with Article 43 of the Treaty. The amounts entered in the budget are the estimated costs of those arrangements for the year in question.
The management committees are concerned with areas in which the Council has delegated to the Commission the power to take decisions on the day-to-day operation of the arrangements that the Council itself has laid down: their function is to express a view on measures which the Commission intends to take.
Membership of the Committees is not determined on a personal basis. The Tobacco Management Committee is attended by officials from the division of the Ministry of Agriculture that includes tobacco within its responsibilities. There is at all times close liaison between these officials and those concerned with budgetary matters and agricultural support. policy as a whole.