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British Pork
7. Mr. David Rendel (Newbury): What steps he has taken to promote British pork. [74084]
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Elliot Morley): We will continue to work constructively with our European Union partners to see what help can be given to support the pigmeat market. In the meantime, we will miss no opportunity to make it known that the British pig industry produces a quality product to high welfare and other standards.
Mr. Rendel: I can only agree with the Minister that British pork is produced to the highest possible nutritional and welfare standards. What steps will he take to ensure that British pork in our shops is properly labelled so that it can be distinguished from imported pork to reassure consumers who want to know where their food comes from?
Mr. Morley: One of the most important things is to ensure proper labelling. The hon. Gentleman knows that the Meat and Livestock Commission has recently launched a quality British pork label, which has been enthusiastically embraced by the major retailers. Many hon. Members, including me in my constituency, have been promoting that in their local supermarkets.
Mr. Denis MacShane (Rotherham): I always like a good bacon breakfast and always seek to buy British bacon, but is my hon. Friend aware that often, when one puts it in the frying pan, a horrible white milky fluid with bits of pink floating in it appears--a bit like those on the Conservative Benches? Will he take to his discussions with the British pigmeat industry, which is seeking to improve the quality of British pigmeat, the idea of introducing higher standards, perhaps along the lines of the French appellation controllee or German Reinheitgebot system, which would give an absolute guarantee that such bacon would fry as it used to when I was a little boy?
Mr. Morley: I cannot be held responsible for what happens to the bacon in my hon. Friend's frying pan. A number of quality standards have been established by the industry--for example, farm-assured British pigs--and the Meat and Livestock Commission. Some important regional producers are promoting quality regional pork. Apart from guarantees of taste and standard, welfare and quality standards of British pork should also be taken into account.
Mr. Peter Luff (Mid-Worcestershire): I know from the evidence that Ministers and officials gave to the Select Committee on Agriculture inquiry into the pig industry that the Minister and his ministerial colleagues understand that there is a deep and continuing crisis in the British pig
industry. What message of hope would he have me take to the meeting of the Ulster farmers union which I am addressing tonight on precisely that subject?
Mr. Morley: The hon. Gentleman will know that special aid was given to Northern Ireland to deal with the problems caused by the accidental fire at its main slaughterhouse, so I, and my colleagues at the Northern Ireland Office, have recognised the problems. The hon. Gentleman will also be aware that the price of pigmeat has increased in recent weeks. That is a welcome trend. I recognise that it is nowhere near enough to give a decent return to producers, but we hope that the trend will continue. We shall do all that we can to promote it.
Dr. George Turner (North-West Norfolk): Does my hon. Friend accept that when British consumers write to Members of Parliament on animal welfare issues, they insist that high standards should be adopted in this country? Does he accept that it is for the supermarkets and British consumers to make sure that they are consistent and that, when consumers demand high quality and welfare standards, they should be willing to give the extra penny or two at the shop to pay for them?
Mr. Morley: There is no doubt that my hon. Friend is right about consumer pressure and demand. It can bring about dramatic change. There is no doubt that the British public are interested in high animal welfare standards. By working with the industry on labelling, we have ensured that consumer choice can support the high standards promoted in this country.
Mr. William Thompson (West Tyrone): Does the Minister realise that Europe wants to take back the money that has been supplied to Ulster farmers, and take it back from individual pig producers? I welcome the Minister's response and recognise what the Government are doing to promote pork, but does the hon. Gentleman realise that unless some drastic action is taken, the supply of pork will be greatly diminished because many farmers are in deep debt and will go out of business?
Mr. Morley: The hon. Gentleman has pointed out that the Commission has queried the aid that was given to Northern Ireland to reflect the special circumstances there on the basis that it might be an illegal state aid. Britain has queried payments given by other countries on the basis that they may be illegal state aids. We do not believe that the support given to Northern Ireland could be classed as an illegal state aid because the pig industry faced a crisis at that time and special circumstances applied. We shall certainly defend the package that Northern Ireland received and do what we can to support the pig industry. However, as the hon. Gentleman will be aware, the pig regime is a light regime so the opportunities for support are limited.
Common Agricultural Policy
8. Mr. Bob Blizzard (Waveney): What recent progress has been made with reform of the common agricultural policy in relation to likely food prices for consumers. [74085]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Jeff Rooker): I regret that I have to give my hon. Friend the same answer that my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary gave earlier. The negotiations reached a conclusion only this morning and my right hon Friend the Minister hopes to make a full statement to the House tomorrow.
Mr. Blizzard: May I add my congratulations to my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the key role that he played in bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion? Does my hon. Friend agree that the 20 per cent. cut in production subsidies that has been agreed should lead to a substantial reduction of possibly £70 a year in food bills for British families? Does that not show that the Government's policy of engagement and gaining influence in Europe is much more successful than just standing on the sideline moaning?
Mr. Rooker: Yes. The success of the negotiations should inevitably lead to a reduction in food prices. We have no reason whatever to believe that those reductions will not be passed on to the consumer.
Mr. Edward Leigh (Gainsborough): A moment ago, the Parliamentary Secretary said that the price of pigmeat is going up. However, the Minister of State knows that, with the United Kingdom ban on stalls and tethering, it will always be possible for our continental partners to undercut us, and that there is no chance for many years of a Europe-wide ban being imposed. What action are the Government taking to use article 36 of the treaty of Rome to ban pigmeat that does not meet our very high welfare standards?
Mr. Rooker: I do not think that that matter figured much in the negotiations on CAP reform. Nevertheless, the Government have said, both inside and outside the House, that we have a voluntary agreement with supermarkets and with the British Retail Consortium that they will not import the products of producers who do not meet United Kingdom welfare standards. They will report back to us on the success of the approach. It is important that that approach should be led by the industry, as it understands British customers' concerns in wanting to buy pork and pigmeat that is produced to exactly the welfare standards that we demand in the United Kingdom.
Food Marketing
9. Mr. Hilton Dawson (Lancaster and Wyre): How he intends to assist farmers to market high-quality local produce and develop co-operative food processing and added-value initiatives. [74087]
The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Jeff Rooker): The Department assists farmers to market their high value-added local produce through a range of financial and other measures. On Tuesday, the Department conducted a seminar on encouraging a partnership approach between organisations that are promoting farmers markets.
Mr. Dawson: May I welcome my hon. Friend's statement, and express my hope that the recent
investigation into Milk Marque's activities will result in that organisation being able not only to continue in its present form but to develop processing activities? May I also draw his attention to the Wyre brunch--a splendid celebration of local produce--which will be held next Tuesday, 23 March, in Garstang? A range of activities at the brunch--which is supported by Myrescough college, the National Farmers Union, Wyre borough council and many other organisations--will bring together people in a celebration of fine local Wyre produce. Is my hon. Friend aware that young people from Pilling will be hanging on every word of his answer to my questions?
Mr. Rooker: Yes. Surely the answer is that, next week, everyone should go to Garstang.
Mr. Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): I shall do exactly that, as Garstang is a neighbour of my constituency. Further to the question asked by the hon. Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson), will the Minister encourage the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to make an early response to the Milk Marque inquiry? Last Friday, 16 farmers from my constituency visited me at my surgery. They are all members of Milk Marque, and all of them wish to remain members of it. Across the country, 16,000 farmers would like assistance to be provided to Milk Marque, so that they may participate in food processing--to ensure not only that their commitment to and investment in the dairy industry are rewarded, but that there is a future for other people in the industry.
Mr. Rooker: I cannot comment on the particular case. It is the fact, however, that United Kingdom producers do not control anywhere near as much of the food chain as producers in our European partner states. Milk Marque is an exception to that fact. We are trying to ensure--by encouraging farmers' collaborative and marque arrangements, producers' co-operatives and farmers markets--that farmers, who are the producers of the food, receive some of the added value in the food chain, so that all added value does not end up with the final retailer, which is the accusation against supermarkets.
Dr. Brian Iddon (Bolton, South-East): In the Fylde and the West Lancashire plain--where the food is produced to feed the constituents of my hon. Friend the Member for Lancaster and Wyre (Mr. Dawson) and those of other hon. Members--there are many small growers who rely on people called produce merchants to transport goods from growers to retailers and wholesalers. The process adds costs to food that, preferably, should go to growers. Does my hon. Friend the Minister agree that, among other things, the Government should promote co-operation in achieving that aim?
Mr. Rooker: Yes, and we are doing that. We provide financial support, in the form of grant, to establish regional groups for speciality producers. Eligible groups, for the first five years after formation, may receive up to £12,000 annually. Although the sum is modest, all the
pressure and impetus from the Department is directed at enabling producer groups to come together to reduce costs, so that they may retain and gain more of the added value of their produce.
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