Wheat and Sugar Imports (Cost)

HC Deb 26 February 1969 vol 778 cc295-6W

47. Mr. Ridley

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the total annual saving in the cost of imported wheat through ending the international wheat agreement.

Mr. Hoy

Withdrawal from the Wheat Trade Convention would not reduce our import bill significantly, since so long as our major wheat suppliers remained within the Convention their prices would continue to be governed by its terms.

48. Mr. Ridley

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the total annual saving in the cost of imported sugar through ending the Commonwealth sugar agreement.

Mr. Hoy

None, all our commitments under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement currently extend without reservation to 1974, and some of them, subject to qualification if we join the E.E.C., to 1977. Because of the many unpredictable factors involved no estimate can be made of the annual saving or additional cost if the Agreement were to be ended then.