Written question asked by Martyn Jones (Labour), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 17 July 1996. It was answered by Lord Boswell of Aynho (Conservative) on Wednesday, 17 July 1996 on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food

Question: For what reasons (a) Uncle Fred's Pea, (b) the Welsh Onion, (c) the Mortgage Lifter Runner Bean and (d) the Ormskirk Late Green Savoy Cabbage are omitted from the list of species which are allowed to be commercially bought or sold as seeds.

Answer: Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reasons (a) Uncle Fred's pea, (b) the Welsh onion, (c) the Mortgage Lifter runner bean and (d) the Ormskirk late green Savoy cabbage are omitted from the list of species which are allowed to be commercially bought or sold as seeds; and if he will make a statement.[36226] Mr. Boswell: The Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 1982, as amended, which implement EC directives, require a variety on the UK national list or EC common catalogue to have a maintainer responsible for maintaining it true to its original description. A variety of Savoy cabbage named Ormskirk was removed from the UK national list in 1989 because no-one wished to maintain it. My Department has no record of the varieties Uncle Fred's pea and the Mortgage Lifter runner bean being entered as candidates for the UK national list under those names. Marketing of varieties of the species Welsh onion is not controlled by the Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) Regulations 1982, as amended, and may therefore take place without these varieties being listed.

Secondary information