§ 11. Mr. Canavanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total amount and value of surplus food stocks (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in the entire European Economic Community.
§ Mr. GummerA note setting out the volume of intervention stocks in the United Kingdom and the Community is deposited in the Library of the House and is updated monthly. The value of these intervention stocks, which include some non-food stocks, is estimated to be £1,371 million in the United Kingdom and £6,197 million in the Community as a whole.
§ Mr. CanavanFor how much longer will the Government tolerate the absolute obscenity of millions of tonnes of food rotting away in the Common Market while millions of people in the Third world face the risk of death by starvation? As the Government have given some belated recognition to Bob Geldof——
§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursSir Bob Geldof.
§ Mr. Canavan—is it not time that they gave more recognition to what the man had to say about releasing some of the surplus food to help hungry people in Africa?
§ Mr. GummerI wish that the hon. Gentleman, whose views on the need to help hungry people I share, would just read what Oxfam and other organisations say. They say that it is not surplus food but financial aid that is needed, otherwise indigenous agriculture will be driven out and there will be no possibility of building an agricultural future for those countries. The hon. Gentleman must not allow his opposition to the Common Market to do down the underdeveloped countries.