Growing unease in the Indian restaurant industry over the shortage and rising prices of basmati rice has reached the House of Commons with an early day motion condemning the European Union for imposing tariffs on the grain.

Philip Davies, Conservative MP from Shipley, north England, tabled the motion following several complaints by Indian restaurant owners in his constituency as well as in Bradford.

The early day motion titled 'Basmati Rice' reads: "That this House is concerned about the rising cost of rice which is causing problems for many South Asian restaurants and takeaways; condemns the EU for imposing tariffs of up to 65 euros per ton on basmati rice from Thailand, Egypt, Uruguay and the US; believes in the principle of free trade; and therefore calls on the Government to regain trade policy from the EU and abolish these tariffs for the benefit of these restaurants, takeaways and the customers they serve".

"These trade tariffs are totally unjustified. They are pushing up the prices for consumers, causing problems for our local restaurants and takeaways across Bradford and also hinder some of the poorest countries in the world from trading their way out of poverty," Davies said.

He said that the trade tariffs were another prime example of how the EU had allegedly become a "protection racket for inefficient producers".

The UK imports around 200,000 tonnes of rice every year and is the largest importer of rice in the EU.