HC Deb 04 December 1996 vol 286 cc719-20W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he received from the New Zealand Government in respect of the European Commission's definition of butter; and what representations he made to the Commission on this subject. [7303]

Mr. Baldry

The Government have received no official representations from the New Zealand Government about the Commission's decision in June this year that spreadable butter does not conform with the definition of butter for the purposes of administering the preferential access quota for imports from New Zealand. We have made no representations to the Commission on this subject.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations he had with the New Zealand Government before the latest EC definition of butter was agreed. [7274]

Mr. Baldry

None. The definition of butter for the purposes of administering the preferential access quota for New Zealand butter imports into the EU was agreed by the Agriculture Council in April 1981. It has not changed since then.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when was the latest EC definition of butter agreed; and when his Department first imposed the increased tariffs on spreadable butter. [7276]

Mr. Baldry

The current definition of butter for the purposes of administering the preferential access quota for New Zealand butter imports into the EU was adopted by the Agriculture Council in April 1981. Following the Commission's decision in June 1996 that spreadable butter did not conform with this definition, HM Customs and Excise applied the increased tariff on imports of spreadable butter from 25 July 1996.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consultations were undertaken with British consumers in the process of agreeing the definition of butter which excludes spreadable butter. [7275]

Mr. Baldry

There is no record of British consumers having been consulted prior to the adoption by the Agriculture Council in 1981 of the definition of butter for the purposes of administering the preferential access quota for New Zealand butter imports into the EU.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent he has discretion on whether to apply the European Commission definition of butter. [7302]

Mr. Baldry

The Government have no discretion as regards the application of the definition of butter in Commission regulation 1600/95 for the purposes of administering the preferential access quota of New Zealand butter imports into the EU.