HC Deb 10 March 1999 vol 327 c223W
19. Mr. Corbyn

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the implementation of the banana recovery plan in the Windward Isles. [73849]

Clare Short

With the Department for International Development's (DFID) active support, the European Commission have committed substantial funds, including STABEX, together with a technical assistance team, to support the Windward Islands banana industry Production Recovery Plan. However, more still needs to be done by the industry—in terms of restructuring, the planning and management of production, and the implementation of the certified grower programme—in order to establish itself on a commercially viable basis. Both DFID and the Commission continue to encourage and support this essential process.