asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, since common agricultural policy prices for beef have increased by 50 per cent. in the last five years, if he will now propose the lifting of the EEC partial ban on beet imports.

EEC institutional prices for beef have increased over the last five years to take account of cost increases over the period and the need to encourage beef production in the Community. The restrictions on imports of beef were introduced last year as part of a pack age of measures, including subsidies for consumers, to deal with a difficult market situation. The situation has now improved and I have strongly supported the successive measures the Community has taken to relax the restrictions on imports, particularly from developing countries