HC Deb 13 May 1981 vol 4 cc289-90W
Mr. Maxton

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, further to his reply to the hon. Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor), Official Report, 5 May, c. 30, why he is not prepared to give details of commercial transactions involving the disposal of EEC butter; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Ernie Ross

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why the European Economic Community's intervention food stores headquarters in

Mr. Peter Walker

No information is available for Greece. The most recent data from the statistical office of the European Communities giving average earnings on a comparable basis in other European Community member States relate to autumn 1979 and were as in column 2 of the following table:

Great Britain will not divulge the names of grant-aided and independent schools which are taking advantage of the scheme providing subsidised food from their stores.

Mr. Peter Walker

Because the identity of participants in these transactions is a matter of commercial confidence and because the cost of providing the information would be excessive.