asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Farmers Union of Wales was invited to participate in joint discussions with his Department and the NFU on the Common Market sheepmeat regime proposals; and, if so, why his Department decided finally to meet the two unions separately.
Representatives of the farmers' unions, including the Farmers' Union of Wales, were invited in early April to discuss with officials of the agricultural Departments the EEC Commission's proposals for a sheepmeat regime. As this was the first time an invitation to consultations on a United Kingdom basis had included the Farmers' Union of Wales, the other three United Kingdom unions asked for time to consider their position. A separate meeting was, therefore, arranged with the Farmers' Union of Wales.