§ Mr. Brocklebank-Fowlerasked the Secretary of State for Trade what consideration he has given to quantifying the potential benefit to the United Kingdom if a common fund is established; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Meacher:The main benefit will lie in the greater stabilisation of commodity prices which it is hoped that a common fund will make it possible to achieve through international commodity agreements. Cost benefit can be quantified on the basis of certain promises, but uncertainty about these promises produces a wider margin of error in any calculations.