§ Mr. HarrisTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will make a statement on Government action to be taken to deal with imports of potatoes infected with brown rot. [2389]
§ Mr. BoswellMeasures have been adopted at Community level to deal with the reported outbreak of brown rot in the Netherlands. They place stringent requirements on the Dutch authorities to ensure the safe disposal of potatoes from infected farms. To supplement these measures, the Government have introduced a statutory requirement for prior notification of all intended imports of Dutch potatoes—including seed, ware and potatoes for processing—in order to ensure that this trade can be monitored effectively. The legislation has also been strengthened to give wider powers to inspectors to control the disposal of Dutch potatoes, and we will be maintaining a high level of surveillance on this trade through inspections of consignments and laboratory testing.