I welcome Mr Bell of Hertfordshire’s response to my letter outlining the increased cost of food imports due to the European Union’s protectionism.

This tariff-wall increases the cost of food in this - and all other EU countries - and I was showing that one of the benefits of withdrawal accrues from being outside the EU.

It is not true that other countries universally attach such high import duties to goods as does the EU.

By the way World Trade Organisation rules average 4% tariff. All other countries want to sell their goods and if the tariff is too high purchasers go somewhere else.

As members of the EU we cannot choose to go elsewhere! We are trapped.

I used the example of frozen prawns in my letter because there can be little production of them in EU countries and therefore to apply such a large import tax is absurd.

The present Government has promised that farmers will be supported financially after withdrawal to provide a shelter while lesser subsidies are calculated.

It is worth observing that New Zealand, which was faced with a similar problem for farmers when UK joined the Common Market decided to abolish such subsidies to farmers. What was the result?

Farmers had to make their farms more efficient. Today they have a very profitable industry.

The final flaw in Mr Bell’s letter was his failure to mention that the Government is working to replace the existing FTAs with third countries with our own.

These will probably more that cover any loss of zero-rated imports. For example the EU has not been able to conclude an FTA with USA.

I am confident that we will succeed.

BRIAN PARKHURST
Fordington