Memorandum submitted by Newark and Sherwood
District Council (O69)
1. The sugar industry plays a major role
in the economic prosperity of Newark and Sherwood. It is estimated
that the sugar industry supports some 3,000 jobs throughout the
local economy. Not only does British Sugar directly employ up
to 130 people at its Newark plant it also generates a large number
of ancillary jobs in the transport and service sectors. It is
estimated that up to 600 people are involved in the transport
of both the raw material and the processed product. On top of
this British Sugar pays around £41 million to more than 900
growers who supply sugar beet to the Newark factory. Clearly,
therefore, any major changes to the current sugar regime would
have a serious impact on the economy of both Newark and Sherwood
District and a much wider rural area in Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
2. Members of the District Council were
so concerned by the potential impact of this review that a meeting
was called, here at Kelham Hall on 9 January 2004, which was attended
by our two local MPs, Paddy Tipping and Patrick Mercer, and three
MEPs, Roger Helmer, Philip Whitehead and Bill Newton Dunn. This
meeting which was extremely well attended gave elected Members
and representatives of both the sugar beet and transport industries
the opportunity to voice their concerns to their Parliamentary
representatives. The outcome of that meeting was a strong recommendation
to Defra from this Authority that any change to the current regime
should be carefully managed within a stable market.
3. I would stress that this Authority does
recognise that the Review is required to enable a sustainable
European Sugar industry. It does not envisage a status quo but
we would strongly urge that any reform of the sugar regime should
be managed in a way which ensures the stability of the European
sugar market. To this end Newark and Sherwood District Council
firmly supports the option most likely to provide this stability
and that is a carefully managed transition of the present regime
after 2006.
1 April 2004
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