§ Mr. MitchellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make representations to the European Commission calling for French and Belgian beef imports to be labelled with the country of origin as a guide to consumers. [99753]
§ Ms QuinThe European Commission has recently put forward proposals for an EU scheme for compulsory origin labelling of beef. These are under discussion with European partners. In principle, compulsory labelling of beef will benefit consumers but will have a cost implication for the supply chain. The Government will consider the UK position on the proposals in the light of negotiations, but in principle we see advantages in labelling.