§ 10. Mr. Ralph Howellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many days' supply of beef are in store, international and private (a) in the EEC and (b) in Great Britain; and what is the Government's policy as to the level at which the surplus becomes unacceptable.
§ Mr. PeartStocks of beef held in mid-April by EEC intervention agencies and by traders under the private storage aid arrangements were equivalent to about 17 days' supply for the whole Community. The quantity of this beef owned by the United Kingdom Intervention Board and United Kingdom traders and held in Great Britain amounted to less than two days' supply for this country. Part of the stocks owned by the Irish Republic's intervention agency are stored in Great Britain on a commercial basis but the Government have no record of the quantities involved.
The Government have consistently argued against the use of intervention as the main support for the beef producers' returns and have persuaded the EEC to include in the Community beef régime variable premiums which reduce the need to rely on intervention buying.