To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the European Commission to amend the EC fruit and vegetable regime intervention system in order to allow apples available through intervention to be purchased at a commercial rate by cider makers and other manufacturers with any monetary difference made up by the Intervention Board. [6885]

None. The EC fruit and vegetable regime is currently being reformed. Our efforts have been, and will continue to be, aimed at securing a complete end to the withdrawal—intervention—system. This will allow the price of fruit to be set by the market alone.