B. CASES WHERE EFFECTIVE SCRUTINY HAS NOT BEEN POSSIBLE
42. THE IMPORTATION OF WINES, GRAPE JUICE AND GRAPE MUST
Letter from Lord Donoughue, Minister for Farming and
the Food Industry, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,
to Lord Tordoff, Chairman of the Committee
I am writing to request urgent scrutiny consideration by
your Committee of an unnumbered Explanatory Memorandum for which
a formal text is not yet available. The proposals to which the
Explanatory Memorandum refers are expected to be tabled for agreement
at Council next week.
The proposals would extend the current derogations, which
expire on 31 December 1997, necessary to allow wines from the
United States of America (USA) to be imported and offered for
sale for direct human consumption in the Community. Urgent scrutiny
of the proposals is, therefore, requested so that agreement can
be reached at the Agriculture Council on 15-16 December. Without
urgent agreement, there would be an interruption to the trade
of wines from the USA.
Plans for the proposals are to be discussed at a meeting
of the Special Committee on Agriculture on December. When the
proposals are subsequently tabled, the UK will enter a Parliamentary
Scrutiny Reserve.
I should be grateful, therefore, for your urgent consideration
of the proposals so that we can lift our reserve at Council next
week.
I hope to be able to deposit the official text as soon as
possible.
9 December 1997
Letter from Lord Tordoff, Chairman of the Committee,
to Lord Donoughue, Minister for Farming and the Food Industry,
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
Having consulted Lord Reay, Chairman of Sub-Committee D,
I have sifted your unnumbered memorandum concerning the above
proposals as list A and thus the scrutiny reserve has been lifted.
I have made this exception as your letter and memorandum
state that the existing derogations are simply to be extended
and no new issue is raised.
I am concerned that the Select Committee has not been able
properly to exercise its scrutiny reserve in this case. I urge
you to strive in Council for more appropriate timetabling.
11 December 1997
|
