§ Baroness ELLIOT of HARWOODMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the increase in net exports to the Free World market in both volume and percentage terms supplied by the EEC since the coming into force of the current EEC sugar regulations.
The MINISTER of STATE, MINISTRY of AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES and FOOD (Earl Ferrers)My Lords, in 1975–76, when the current EEC sugar regulations came into effect, the Community was a net importer of 582,000 tonnes of sugar. The figures for net exports of sugar to third countries since then are: in 1976–77, 69,000 tonnes; 1977–78, 1,346,000 tonnes; and 1978–79, 976,000 tonnes. The figure for 1977–78 represents an increase of 1,851 per cent. compared with the previous year, while that for 1978–79 represents a decrease of 27 per cent. over the previous year. Final figures for 1979–80 are not available but are estimated at 1,214,000 tonnes, which would be an increase of 24 per cent. over 1978–79.
§ Baroness ELLIOT of HARWOODMy Lords, I thank the Minister very much indeed for going to so much trouble to give me all those figures. In view of the great complications which are going on in the world of sugar, I wonder whether the Minister could explain why the EEC has not joined the International Sugar Agreement, and would it not simplify things 1144 for all the world sugar producers if everyone belonged to the International Sugar Agreement?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, I quite agree with my noble friend that it is highly desirable that we should join the International Sugar Agreement, but at the moment it is very difficult for the Community to do this when they are a surplus producer. The fact that they are intending to cut down the production of sugar should make that a more likely possibility.
§ Lord DOUGLAS of BARLOCHMy Lords, can the noble Earl say what the internal price of sugar is in the EEC, and at what price it is exported?
Earl FERRERSMy Lords, the world price of sugar at the moment is about £250 a tonne. Three weeks ago it was £300 a tonne. The intervention price of EEC sugar is £255 a tonne, so at the moment the intervention price is very similar to the world price.