§ Mr. Leightonasked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the increase in United Kingdom production of each of the principal agricultural products likely to result in each of the next three years in the absence of a reduction in profit margins; what estimates have been made by the EEC Commission for the EEC; and to what extent the additional production is likely to be absorbed by increased consumption having regard to the current economic outlook.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithEstimates are not available for the United Kingdom, and I am not aware that the Commission has made estimates of this kind for the Community. The previous Government published some projections for 1983 in "Possible Patterns of Agricultural Production in the United Kingdom by 1983", and the Commission has made some forecasts of production trends, for example in volume I of its price proposals for 1979–80. Copies of both documents are in the Library of the House. As for the relationship between production and consumption, we want to see a reduction in surpluses of food in the EEC, but in the United Kingdom there is scope for a bigger contribution by our farmers to meet Britain's needs.