§ 32. Mr. James Spicerasked the Secretary of State for Trade what was the total value of agricultural imports from the EEC in the first nine months of this year and the percentage increase this represents over the corresponding period for 1973.
§ Mr. DeakinsAgricultural imports— Section O of SITC(R)—from the EEC, including transhipments, in the first nine months of this year were valued at £1,072 million, 57 per cent. higher than in the same period last year.
§ Mr. SpicerI am grateful to the Minister for giving us those figures. Will he confirm that we should all be grateful for that increase, as are our farmers, and in particular for the 90 per cent. increase in the maize exports from the Community to this country, which made up for the shortfall from the American continent and without which the cost of feeding stuffs this winter would be considerably higher?
§ Mr. DeakinsCertainly our farmers have every reason to be grateful for the make-up in the shortfall of supplies. That also applies to butter. But I am not certain whether the consumers will be entirely happy with, for example, beef imports which might have come more cheaply from other countries.
§ Mr. BodyWhat proportion of the imports could we have purchased more cheaply from outside the Community?
§ Mr. DeakinsIt would be very difficult to isolate any one sector. Three main areas—cereals, dairy products and beef— account for the bulk of the increase. It is difficult to separate one from the other because one has to take into account first the price relationships, secondly the volume increases, and thirdly the decrease in the value of sterling. It is a very complicated matter.
§ Mr. William HamiltonCan my hon. Friend be more specific? Where could we have got these things cheaper than in the Community?
§ Mr. DeakinsThere is plenty of beef available on world markets. I was referring to the fact that for several months past and for several months to come the Community has been, is and is likely to be closed to beef imports from the rest of the world.