To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his Department's policy towards, and what assessment he has made of, the implications for food security of the increased role of multinational companies in the food chain. [76499]

[holding answer 16 March 1999]: My Department has every confidence in the security of food supplies due to the diverse make-up of the sector which ranges from a myriad of small domestic companies through to a small number of large multinational companies. Each has its own important role to play in the market place.