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Jack Cunningham: surprised
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Cunningham Makes Food Safety His Priority
The new Agriculture Minister, Jack Cunningham, has spoken of his surprise at being offered at the post. At his first news conference, he told reporters: "I had a clear indication from Tony Blair that he would put me in the Cabinet, but I didn't expect to be Minister for Agriculture. However, I am very pleased to be here."
Dr Cunningham said he would aim for a "positive and constructive dialogue" with the EU concerning the worldwide ban on British beef exports.
On Monday, he will go to Brussels for talks with the EU Farm Commissioner, Franz Fischler, and the EU Fisheries Commissioner, Emma Bonino. He said he would not be putting specific proposals to the Commissioners, although he promised that the new government would make a "fresh start" in dealing with the beef crisis. He said he would adopt "exactly the same approach" as the Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, and the European Affairs Minister, Doug Henderson.
Standards agency
"If there are tough decisions to make in Britain's national interest, I shall not flinch from taking them, but we want that to be a positive dialogue," Dr Cunningham said. There was, he said, "no alternative" to the Florence Agreement of June 1996, which outlines the framework for the lifting of the beef ban.
Dr Cunningham said his first priority would be food safety - carrying out Labour's long-standing commitment to establish an independent food standards agency.
He also promised that his department would be more open, and that reports raising public health concerns would not be suppressed.
"I have given an instruction to the department that if there are any issues concerning public health and well-being or the safety of food, they must be brought forward immediately," he said.
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