§ Mr. BreedTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on a Europe-wide ban on exports of French beef; and if he will make a statement. [138275]
§ Ms QuinMy right hon. Friend the Minister attended a meeting on 13 November with Commissioners Byrne and Fischler at which the question of BSE and French beef was discussed. Advice from the Food Standards Agency is that such a ban would not be justified at the present time.
§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has made to the European Commission on(a) ending the French ban on British beef and (b) the banning of French beef in the UK. [139591]
§ Mr. Nick BrownOn 6 September, the UK Government submitted a Statement in Intervention in support of the European Commission's position in the Commission's European Court of Justice case against the French Government for their failure to lift their ban on British beef. I made plain to the Commission and to other member states at the Agriculture Council on 20–21 November that the ban should be lifted.
Preliminary Food Standards Agency advice is that there is currently no need to ban imports of French beef. However, the Agency is commissioning a risk assessment.