§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals Her Majesty's Government have made to the review of the common agricultural policy(a) before and (b) since I May; and what research his Department has commissioned into the use of set-aside land for the production of vegetable oils suitable for heating, automotive or other purposes. [9622]
§ Mr. RookerMy right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food wrote to Commissioner Fischler on 1 July setting out the Government's views on the future of the common agricultural policy. A copy of his letter has been placed in the Library of the House. I do not propose to comment on proposals put forward by the previous Government.
The Department is funding a range of research into industrial use of vegetable oils. This includes examining a range of industrially relevant oils, improving the efficiency of oil-bearing crops and assessing the environmental impact of plant sourced oils. These crops and the related research are not restricted to set-aside land.