asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement about the progress of negotiations with the EEC on changes in the calculation of monetary compensatory amounts for pigmeat.

At the request of my right hon. Friend the Commission has set in train a study of the distorting effects of the system of monetary compensatory amounts in the pigmeat and other sectors. We hope that the report will lend support to our view that there is a need for a change in the basis of calculation of the pigmeat monetary compensatory amounts and have stressed the need for urgency in considering the position in the pigmeat sector.