§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what initiatives his Department is providing to boost the competitiveness of the UK's agriculture industry in Europe. [96259]
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§ Ms QuinThe Government are seeking to assist UK agriculture to be more competitive in Europe on several fronts.
The foundation of a competitive industry must be the macro-economic stability which the Government have achieved and which brings low levels of inflation and interest rates. We have built on this foundation by investing in research and development, pursuing the Government's policy of training, education and lifelong learning, establishing the Food Chain Group earlier this year whose aim is to bring the food chain close together, launching a joint campaign (with the National Farmers' Union (NFU)) to encourage more collaborative marketing, and launching a further joint initiative with the NFU to review regulatory burdens on the industry.
Furthermore, my right hon. Friend announced a substantial package of aid on 20 September which included £150 million of new money for the industry. This included the waiving of specified risk material charges and cattle passport charges until at least 2001/02, and £1 million aimed directly at support for marketing. Most recently, my right hon. Friend announced on 28 October 1999, Official Report, column 1128, that we have secured a further £5 million in marketing aid.