Farming and Food — 26 Oct 1998

I beg to move,

That this House welcomes moves made by Her Majesty's Government in recent weeks to address some of the problems facing the British agricultural industry but believes these problems would be more successfully addressed by measures such as accessing agri-monetary compensation funds, ensuring that animal welfare standards are enforced uniformly across the EU and that UK standards are applied to imports, encouraging supermarkets to support British farming in their buying policies and addressing the imbalance in the bargaining power between producers and the supermarkets, implementing a 'Buy British' policy in central government and its agencies and encouraging local government to do likewise wherever possible, retaining the Calf Processing Scheme, reducing inspection charges on farmers, ensuring that payments to farmers are made promptly, stabilising exchange rates by making an early declaration of intent of the Government's commitment to join the European Single Currency, implementing longer-term measures that are also needed to secure the future of British farming, including the clear labelling of products including imports, and ensuring that CAP reform does not discriminate against British farmers and any uptake of an early retirement scheme does not lead to compulsory amalgamation of holdings; further believes that confidence in the safety and quality of British food will only be restored when a fully independent and authoritative Food Standards Agency is established; and regrets any delay in its creation.

I beg to move, To leave out from "House" to the end of the Question, and to add instead thereof:

"welcomes the Government's strong commitment to the UK farming industry and to the wider rural economy; welcomes in particular the steps which the Government has taken since May 1997 to support the beef and sheep industry via EU agri-monetary compensation and relief from charges; acknowledges the steps taken specifically to help the sheep, pig and cereal sectors with targeted EU measures; and endorses the Government's intention to bring about a secure and viable future for the UK farming and food industries through a market-orientated reform of the Common Agricultural Policy."

The Independent today points out that the market share of the big four has increased from 25 per cent. in 1987 to more than 50 per cent. in 1997, yet the Conservative Government did nothing about the growing monopolistic tendencies during that period.

Question put, That the original words stand part of the Question:--

The House divided: Ayes 45, Noes 340.

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