§ 11. Mr. William Hamiltonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which foods are now being bought more cheaply from within the EEC than from elsewhere; and if he will publish the differences between current world prices and EEC prices for each commodity.
§ Mr. BishopIt is difficult to make direct comparisons of prices of foodstuffs from different national sources because of differences in quality, grading and presentations of products. Of our main temperate imports according to the latest available figures, supplies of wheat, rice, maize, sugar, bacon, lard, tomatoes and apples were available more cheaply from the EEC than from non-EEC sources. There is no easily identifiable world price for many commodities, but with permission I will publish in the Official Report a table showing cif values of our main temperate imports.
§ Mr. HamiltonWhat would be the difference in the retail price index if we had to buy these commodities on the world market? Will my hon. Friend make sure that the information is given as much publicity as the distorted figures on the balance of trade deficit given recently by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade?
§ Mr. BishopIt is difficult to talk about the comparisons of prices on world markets, but I have no doubt that there will be no lack of volunteers to make the information known to those who they feel should have it.
§ Mr. Ronald BellWill the Minister remember, in attempting any answer to his hon. Friend's questions, that prices would have to be assessed as they would have been if we had renewed long-term arrangements which we abandoned as a result of a certain mistaken policy?
| AVERAGE UNIT VALUES OF UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF CERTAIN COMMODITIES—NOVEMBER 1974 | |||||||||||||
| Commodity | (£ per ton) E.E.C. Countries | Non-E.E.C. Countries | |||||||||||
| 1. E.E.C. lower than non-E.E.C. | |||||||||||||
| Wheat | … | … | … | Denmark | … | … | 70.50 | U.S.A | … | … | … | 87.82 | |
| France | … | … | … | 72.51 | Canada | … | … | … | 94.47 | ||||
| Rice, short grained | … | Italy | … | … | … | 161.75 | Australia | … | … | … | 190.53 | ||
| Raw sugar, beet and cane | … | France | … | … | … | 130.08 | Australia | … | … | … | 147.28 | ||
| Belgium/Luxembourg | … | 134.26 | Guyana | … | … | … | 152.71 | ||||||
| Refined sugar | … | … | France | … | … | … | 185.55 | Poland | … | … | … | 383.50 | |
| Tomatoes, fresh | … | … | Irish Republic | … | … | 292.75 | Spain | … | … | … | 332.99 | ||
| Netherlands | … | … | 319.09 | Romania | … | … | … | 344.14 | |||||
| Apples | … | … | … | France | … | … | … | 191.31 | U.S.A. | … | … | … | 220.30 |
| Italy | … | … | … | 213.14 | Canada | … | … | … | 231.37 | ||||
| 2. No significant difference | |||||||||||||
| Lard | … | … | … | Belgium/Luxembourg | … | 238.54 | Hungary | … | … | 254.17 | |||
| Netherlands | … | … | 267.64 | Poland | … | … | … | 268.12 | |||||
| U.S.A | … | … | … | 401.05 | |||||||||
| Maize | … | … | … | France | … | … | … | 73.30 | U.S.A | … | … | … | 68.58 |
| West Germany | … | … | 75.38 | South Africa | … | … | 72.08 | ||||||
| Bacon | … | … | … | Denmark | … | … | 696.55 | Sweden | … | … | … | 754.65 | |
| Irish Republic | … | … | 669.41 | Poland | … | … | … | 701.75 | |||||
| 3. Non-E.E.C. lower than E.E.C. | |||||||||||||
| Butter | … | … | … | France | … | … | … | 649.72 | New Zealand | … | … | 361.05 | |
| Netherlands | … | … | 651.41 | ||||||||||
| Denmark | … | … | 699.29 | ||||||||||
| Cheddar type cheese | … | Irish Republic | … | … | 772.29 | New Zealand | … | … | 312.05 | ||||
| Netherlands | … | … | 810.13 | ||||||||||
| Lamb | … | … | … | Irish Republic | … | … | 483.78 (fresh) | New Zealand | … | … | 478.84 (frozen) | ||
| Beef | … | … | … | No reliable comparison possible owning to ban on imports from non-E.E.C. countries. | |||||||||
| Sources: Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom Customs and Excise Tabulation Sheets. |