Vol. 539 No. 1
41 Dr. Upton asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the plans he has to dispose of the beef which will come onstream following the commencement of the special purchase scheme in July 2001; if he will consider making this beef available to organisations which provide free or very cheap meals to disadvantaged groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18793/01]
The special purchase scheme, aimed at supporting the market, will come into effect from 1 July. It will give member states the option of either destroying the beef or storing it for eventual disposal as food aid or other humanitarian purposes. However, the disposal of the beef will be subject to prior approval of the European Commission in the context of its beef management committee. I have not yet taken any definitive decision on this matter. Any decision to store the beef for eventual use by charitable organisations will have to take account of the level of demand, the precise requirements of the organisations, the length of time the beef is likely to remain in store before release and the cost and controls involved in an approach that mixes destruction and storage.
