HL Deb 08 February 1979 vol 398 cc960-4WA
Lord O'HAGAN

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many tons of cheese, and of which variety, have been imported into the United Kingdom from the other member States of the EEC in each of the last 10 years; and how much British cheese, of each variety, has been exported to the rest of the EEC in each of the last 10 years.

Lord JACQUES

The available information for the period 1969–1978 (which does not differentiate between cheese of British or foreign origin) is as follows:—

TABLE I: TRADE WITH THE REST OF THE EEC IN CHEESE AND CURD, 1974–1978
(Tons)
1974 1975 1976 1977 January-November 1978
Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports
Emmentaler, Gruyere, Sbrinz, Bergkäse, and Appenzell, not grated or powdered 128 349 83 1 73 1 58 19 78 3
Glarus herb cheese (Schabziger) 10 — 8 — 3 — 0 — — —
Blue-veined cheese, not grated or powdered 3,475 28 3,285 36 3,350 42 3,240 56 3,134 52
Processed cheese, not grated or powdered 4,472 239 4,006 221 5,026 511 4,590 715 4,304 668
Other, not grated or powdered, of a fat content by weight not exceeding 40 per cent., and a water content calculated by weight of the non-fatty matter:—
No exceeding 47 per cent. 265 75 193 1 239 0 167 0 209 1
Exceeding 47 per cent. but not exceeding 72 per cent:—
Cheddar (including Chester) 57,144 1,466 79,590 2,259 71,700 4,918 64,246 3,119 54,118 5,018
Tilsit and Butterkäse 17 — 3 — 0 — — — 12 —
Other 31,565 735 27,202 733 28,228 770 27,474 2,406 24,065 1,483
Exceeding 72 per cent. 183 11 373 5 209 7 346 0 398 0
Other, grated or powdered:—
Cheddar 318 136 414 31 415 — 173 45 257 265
Other 1,654 203 1,802 347 2,593 21 2,525 55 1,975 21
Other 2 5 22 — 221 0 176 4 165 0

TABLE II: TRADE WITH THE REST OF THE EEC IN CHEESE AND CURD, 1969–1973
(Tons)
1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports Imports Exports
Blue-veined 3,523 see note (d) 3,503 8 3,735 11 3,745 12 3,822 (18) see note (d)
Processed 2,761 101 4,128 53 3,371 24 3,976 122 4,325 115
Cheddar 25,664 390 28,519 346 38,645 426 35,378 817 44,944 1,931
Other 18,571 501 17,528 282 19,367 339 21,520 462 28,883 1,130

Notes to Tables I and II:

(a) Source: UK Overseas Trade Statistics, SITC Group 024.

(b) 0 indicates trade less than 0.5 tons;—indicates nil trade.

(c) Figures throughout relate to the EEC as currently constituted, except that in 1973 and 1974 trade with Faroes and in 1973–1975 trade with Greenland is also included.

(d) Exports of blue-veined cheese were not separately distinguished before 1970, and in 1973 relate to the month of January only.

(e) More detailed information on cheeses of a fat content by weight not exceeding 40 per cent., and a water content calculated by weight of the non-fatty matter between 47 per cent. and 72 per cent. is available for 1978.