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Elections (Scotland and Wales)
Q11. [89792] Dr. Julian Lewis (New Forest, East): What assessment he has made of the operation of the systems for electing members of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly.
The Prime Minister: I believe that the Scottish and Welsh elections, which were carried out for the first time in the United Kingdom under the additional member system, operated effectively, and I pay tribute to all those officials and others who helped to ensure that that was the case. Of course, we shall look into how the detailed arrangements worked in practice.
Dr. Lewis: Is it not blindingly obvious, even to the Prime Minister, that what proportional representation did in Scotland and in Wales was, as usual, to deprive the winning party of a working majority and force it into coalition with a party that came not even second or third, but fourth--namely, the Liberal party? Will he now assure the House once and for all that that distorting and undemocratic system of proportional representation will never be used for Westminster parliamentary elections?
The Prime Minister: I really do not understand the Tories at all. If we had used the old system, there would have been no Tories in the Scottish Parliament and only one in the Welsh Assembly. The hon. Gentleman should be thanking me for my unprecedented generosity.
Beef Exports
3.31 pm
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Nick Brown): With permission, Madam Speaker, I should like to make a statement about beef exports.
I am very pleased to inform the House that, this morning, the European Commission adopted a decision that has the effect of lifting the beef ban for the whole of the United Kingdom. Its decision is that the date-based export scheme, on which we have been formally negotiating since October 1997, should start to operate from 1 August this year. From that date, it will be possible to export to other European Union countries boneless beef from cattle born after 1 August 1996 in any part of the UK.
Other conditions will have to be met. To deal with the risk of maternal transmission, no animal will be eligible for export unless its dam can be proved to have lived for at least six months after its birth without developing BSE. The date of birth and the identity of the animal must be established beyond doubt.
I negotiated one significant change with the Commission, however. Although the slaughterhouses must deal exclusively in cattle that meet the requirements for export, they can also deal in other species. That is a commercially important point for operators.
My Department and the other Agriculture Departments have worked in close consultation with all parts of the industry to ensure that they are geared up to make the best possible use of the scheme. The next steps will involve a final inspection and approval by my Department of exporting plants, after which exports can start. Everything is in place for that to happen from 1 August.
One company is poised to start exporting as soon as possible after the 1 August start date and others will follow. The Government will do all that they can to ensure that the scheme delivers benefits to our beef producers and traders and that it helps to build confidence within the agriculture industry at home and to rebuild confidence in British beef among our European Union partners.
The decision is an important breakthrough for the industry after the bleak time since March 1996 during which our beef industry has been afflicted by the export ban. My objective, however, is to get the UK market back on the same terms of trade as our competitors.
Today's decision is the result of a negotiation that has lasted for nearly two years. I pay tribute to the hard work that has been put in along the way by Ministers and officials in a number of Departments. It is an excellent example of well-organised, inter-departmental collaboration across Government in successful pursuit of a significant, national objective. The outcome also shows clearly the benefits of the Government's new approach to doing business in Europe. In stark contrast with the ludicrous Tory beef war, which produced nothing except our own isolation from Europe, Labour leadership in Europe and our constructive approach towards our European partners has clearly been shown to succeed.
Mr. Tim Yeo (South Suffolk):
The Opposition warmly welcome the news that beef exports will restart on 1 August. That is an important step forward, but the Minister will know that it is not only about today's
Several questions arise. The Minister made some uncharacteristically political comments at the end of his statement--no doubt inserted with the forthcoming reshuffle in mind. In view of those comments, is he aware that many beef farmers are bitterly disappointed that eight months have passed since he last made a statement to the House that the beef ban was to be lifted? During those eight months not a single ounce of beef was exported from the British mainland. The Minister told the House:
Will the Minister confirm that, after his statement of 25 November, more than four months passed before the European Commission inspectors were even invited to Britain to examine the facilities through which beef exports would be channelled? Is that what Labour mean by "well-organised, inter-departmental collaboration"? As it has taken Labour two years and three months to get the ban lifted, and as today's statement confirms that the lifting is very partial, does the Minister really believethat beef farmers will see that as a triumph for the Government's new approach to doing business in Europe? Alternatively, was the verdict of beef farmers the one that was delivered on 10 June?
Will the Minister confirm whether the lifting of the ban applies only to European Union countries, or also to those outside the EU? Will he say which slaughterhouse has been approved for export? How soon are others likely to be approved, and how many are likely to take part in the scheme in the foreseeable future?
What help will the Government now give to exporters to rebuild their markets? For example, will the Government help with the running costs of the scheme for slaughterhouses during the initial period when exports build up? Has money been set aside for that purpose? Does the Minister agree that the experience in Northern Ireland shows that help is indeed needed?
How soon will British service men abroad be able to eat British beef? Does the Minister agree that Labour could boost confidence in British beef if they lifted their absurd ban on beef on the bone? Does he agree that Labour could boost confidence in British beef if 42 Labour local authorities ended their ban on beef on school menus? Will he confirm that his statement means that a slaughterhouse, which deals with cattle that meet the export requirements, can sell into either export or home markets?
As the Minister states that cattle born after 1 August 1996--for example, cattle which are now 35 months old--can be exported, does that mean that the over 30 months scheme is now being phased out? What will the final inspection of exporting plants by MAFF involve? Is he aware that the ending of the calf processing aid scheme on 31 July this year will have immediate and adverse consequences? Is he worried about the possible animal welfare problems that may result? Has the Ministry sent out a leaflet advising farmers how to slaughter calves on their own farms?
The Minister stated that Labour's objective is to get the UK market back on the same terms as that of our competitors. However, this agreement fails to do so. Does he agree with those farmers who say that the potential for beef exports remains limited while the existing restrictions are in force? Will he give top priority to the removal of the remaining restrictions? Will he fight inside Europe for the export of beef on the bone and of live cattle to be resumed as soon as possible?
If the right hon. Gentleman is to avoid the charge of having done too little, too late, much greater urgency is needed to secure the removal of the remaining restrictions than was demonstrated in the months following his previous statement on this subject to the House last November.
The Minister has our congratulations on what he has achieved so far, but he will earn our support and, indeed, the thanks of beef farmers if he recognises that it is the first step along a long road and that the Government still need to make strenuous efforts to reach the goal of a thriving beef export market.
Mr. Brown:
I thank the Opposition spokesman for his congratulations. I have to say that I hate to think what he would have said to me if he had turned against me. What a whingeing, grudging welcome he gave to what is, after all, an important announcement for one of our key agriculture industries. Before dealing with the points of detail, I observe that among all the issues that the hon. Gentleman raised, there was no mention of what caused the ban to be imposed in the first place or an acceptance that perhaps the previous Government had something to do with that ban being imposed and the failure even to make a start on getting it lifted. Those grudging remarks come ill from a member of the party that got us into this mess in the first place.
"I can say that it is my objective to have the date-based export scheme up and running and past its Commission inspection by next spring."--[Official Report, 25 November 1998; Vol. 321, c. 191-92.]
It will now be well into August before that objective is achieved. Spring has been a long time coming this year for beef farmers.
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