§ Mr. Maxwell-Hyslopasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the price for sheep in the second week of July of 128.57p per kilogram with associated variable premiums of 71.8p per kilogram in England compared with 172.86p per kilogram in Ulster reflects the illegal export of sheep from Ulster to the Republic of Ireland and then re-export to other European Economic Community countries without payment of clawback, which is payable on exports from the United Kingdom to the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe sheep markets in Great Britain and Northern Ireland are largely separate for a number of reasons, including animal health restrictions on exports from Great Britain to Ireland, and prices on these markets do not necessarily move together. Prices in Great Britain have dropped much more sharply in the last few weeks than in Northern Ireland as increasing quantities of new season's lamb have come on to the market. We have no evidence that this sharp difference between recent price movements in these markets has anything to do with movements between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.