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Mr. Curry : A programme of work for 1991-92 is currently under discussion with the Institute of Food Research and will be issued as soon as possible.

Coastal Defence

Mr. Ward : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Government have any plans to develop a national plan on coastal defence which would include clear regional strategic plans for local authorities.

Mr. Curry : In allocating grant to the National Rivers Authority and to local authorities empowered under the Land Drainage Act 1976 and the Coast Protection Act 1949 to undertake coastal defence work, this Department has full information on the forward capital coastal defence programmes of those authorities, and gives highest priority to schemes giving protection to people and property. The Department also funds the national flood and coastal defence research and development programme

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with the aim inter alia, of developing understanding of coastal processes and improving design of coastal defences. This strategy ensures that Government funding is provided at the appropriate level and is used to the best possible effect. We have no plans to change the nature of these arrangements but we do expect to develop even closer liaison between this Department and authorities in order to add to the effectiveness of our respective planning procedures.

Smoking

Mr. Amos : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the progress in implementing a smoke- free policy throughout his Department ;

(2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that every non-smoking employee in his Department has the right to work in a smoke-free area ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Curry : This Department has continued to develop non-smoking regimes in our buildings taking account of local circumstances. Restrictions already apply at many locations and a formal departmental policy statement is to be issued shortly with the intention of further extending such regimes. The general approach is to discourage smoking on official premises while providing some separate facilities for smokers.

Agriculture Council

Mr. Hague : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the outcome of the Agriculture Council held on 4 and 5 February ; and if he will make a statement.

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Mr. Gummer : I represented the United Kingdom at this meeting together with my hon. Friend, the Member for Skipton and Ripon (Mr. Curry), the Parliamentary-Secretary in my Department.

The Council had before it a Commission paper on the future of the common agricultural policy. This contained few figures and made no specific proposals, but suggested that a revised common agricultural policy should have as a principal aim keeping as many farmers as possible on the land. The revised policy could involve significantly lower prices and higher direct payments to producers, the latter being modulated in favour of small producers.

I welcomed the Commission's willingness to contemplate radical reform of the common agricultural policy, but pointed out that the Commission's ideas seemed likely to involve a considerable increase in Community expenditure, probably to levels well above the agreed guideline ; would place the more efficient and competitive Community producers at a disadvantage compared to their international competitors ; and would involve unacceptable discrimination between member states. Several other Ministers expressed similar hesitations.

It is not clear what action the Commission will now take. It must in any case shortly produce price proposals for 1991-92 but Ministers made it clear that these were a separate matter.

The Council voted (with the United Kingdom voting against) to bring producers' direct sales of yogurt, ice cream and certain other milk products within the scope of Community rules on milk quotas for the first time. It was not possible, on this occasion, to complete parliamentary scrutiny of changes to the milk quota arrangements prior to adoption. This was due to the Commission's precipitate action in bringing the matter before the Council and the Presidency's putting the matter to the vote.

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