§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the food consumed in the United Kingdom during each of the past 10 years has had to be imported; and what has been the cost.
§ Mr. WigginThe information requested is as follows:
FOOD IMPORTS FOR CONSUMPTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM As a percentage of total United Kingdom food consumption Cost £ m. 1968–69* 47.9 1,556 1969–70* 47.0 1,589 1970 46.5 1,605 1971 46.5 1,738 1972 45.5 1,800 1973 45.9 2,288 1974 46.9 2,718 1975 45.6 3,104 1976 45.4 3,727 1977 47.9 4,558 1978 48.1 4,840 Notes: *July June years; figures not available for calendar years before 1970. Figures for 1979 are not yet available.
These figures do not indicate the trend in the United Kingdom's self-sufficiency in food. Under the definition used in an article in Economic Trends in October 1979—where United Kingdom food production is expressed as a percentage of food consumption—self-sufficiency rose from 49 per cent. to 56 per cent. between 1970 1978.