Sustainable Development

Part of the debate – in Westminster Hall at 4:27 pm on 7 July 2005.

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Photo of John Hayes John Hayes Shadow Minister (Transport) 4:27, 7 July 2005

The hon. Gentleman makes a most interesting point. If we are to shorten the food production chain, we shall have to face those difficult questions. I wonder if he will consider another distortion with which he may not be so familiar. In the European Union, there is a debate about reform of the sugar regime. The sugar regime protects the price of sugar through a special arrangement with Afro-Caribbean countries which secures their markets. All Tate & Lyle's sugar is cane sugar that is provided by those means. The reform of that regime will be not only injurious to British sugar beet producers, but deeply harmful to those countries highly dependent on the production of cane sugar. It will benefit the sophisticated and wealthy sugar producers in Brazil and Australia—countries that receive high levels of investment from the United States.