§ Mr. John Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he is taking to ensure a sufficient supply of raw cane sugar imports into the United Kingdom to ensure full employment in the six United Kingdom cane sugar refineries; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BishopAs my replies to my hon. Friend's other Questions make clear, we are doing all we can to secure arrangements which will maximise future imports of raw sugar into the United Kingdom. But it should be borne in mind that the total capacity of the six refineries, ignoring that part of it which is used to refine sugar for export, is sufficient for some 2.1 million tons of raw sugar per year. This far exceeds the quantity covered by the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement, not all of which is currently being supplied.
§ Mr. John Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consider seeking to amend the EEC cane sugar agreement which allows 1.4 million tons of cane sugar to be imported to the EEC to enable the 1.4 million tons to be committed to the United Kingdom only.
§ Mr. BishopIn negotiating within the Community on the supply of raw sugar from the Commonwealth after the expiry of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement at the end of the year, we shall naturally have closely in mind requirements of the British cane sugar refineries.
§ Mr. John Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action he has taken to ensure continuing long-term supplies of cane sugar from Australia to the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BishopAs my right hon. Friend told the House on 19th June, we have made it clear to the EEC Council of Ministers that, in our view, the Community will need for some years an assured supply of sugar from Australia, and talks have already been held with32W representatives of the Australian Government about the sort of arrangements which might be made.
§ Mr. John Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on his discussions with Commonwealth cane sugar producers concerning their commitments to export 1.4 million tons of cane sugar to the EEC.
§ Mr. BishopI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Cambridgeshire (Mr. Pym) on 11th July.