HC Deb 27 July 1979 vol 971 cc704-5W
Mr. Wall

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Wood what is the estimated increase in the price of fuel oil used by the British distant water fishing fleet in each of the past five years; and what is the latest figure.

Mr. Peter Walker

The approximate average price per ton of marine diesel oil in the ports of Fleetwood, Grimsby and Hull reported to my Ministry has been as follows:

£
August 1974 39
August 1975 43
August 1976 63
August 1977 79
August 1978 72
July 1979 112

Mr. Wall

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the number of vessels constituting the British distant water fishing fleet in each of the past six years and the figure today.

Mr. Peter Walker

The number of vessels of 140 ft. in length and over in the United Kingdom fishing fleet has been as follows:

Date and Number of Vessels
31 December 1973 168
31 December 1974 163
31 December 1975 132
31 December 1976 104
31 December 1977 97
31 December 1978 78
30 June 1979 68

Mr. Wall

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average cost of operating a British distant water fishing vessel today as compared with each of the past five years.

Mr. Peter Walker

Given the range of grounds now fished by distant water

Item and CCT No. Common levy* M.C.A. Net import levy
£/mt p/lb £/mt p/lb £/mt p/lb
Common Wheat (10.01A) 46.898 2.13 12.682 0.58 34.216 1.55
Barley (10.03) 43.844 1.99 11.257 0.51 32.587 1.48
Maize (10.05B) 48.648 2.21 11.257 0.51 37.391 1.70
White Sugar (17.01A) 197.667 8.97 8.300 0.38 189.367 8.59
Butter 82–84 per cent. Fat Content (04.03A)† 1418.192 64.39 54.660 2.48 1,363.532 61.91
Cheddar Cheese (04.04EIb1bb) 1124.274 51.04 41.580 1.89 1,082.694 49.15
Skimmed Milk Powder (04.02AIIbl) 645.178 29.29 22.210 1.01 622.968 28.28
Boneless Frozen Meat (02.01AIIb4bb33) 878.187 39.87 50.740 2.30 827.447 37.57
Lard (15.01AII) 97.092 4.41 7.100 0.32 89.992 4.09
Pigmeat Carcasses (02.01AIIIal)‡ 303.345 13.77 22.180 1.01 281.165 12.76
Salted Bacon Sides (02.06BIa2aa) 388.248 17.63 28.390 1.29 359.858 16.34
Eggs (04.05AIb)§ 375.246 17.04 28.740 1.30 346.506 15.74
Poultrymeat 70 per cent. Chickens (02.02AIb) 173.561 7.88 24.640 1.12 148.921 6.76
* Conversion from European Currency Units into sterling has been made using the respective representative rates and multiplying the resulting figures by the current respective monetary coefficients given below:

Representative Rate Monetary Coefficient
Cereals, Eggs and Poultry £1=1.90625 ECU 1.146
Other than Cereals, Eggs and Poultry £1=1.72039 ECU 1.033
† There is a special rate for New Zealand butter.
‡ Does not include a supplementary levy which at present applies only to imports from the German Democratic Republic and Finland.
§ Includes a supplementary levy applicable to imports from certain countries of origin. Regulations provide for supplementary levies to operate in this sector when average free-at-frontier offer prices fall below the sluice gate price.

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