§ Mr. Spenceasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the percentage of each pound sterling spent on food in the United Kingdom which can be apportioned to (a) home production, farm gate price, (b) imported foodstuffs, (c) food manufacturing industries, (d) wholesale and (e) retail.
573W
§ Mrs. FennerIt is difficult to provide precise estimates of the percentages of each £1 of expenditure on food which can be attributed to all the various stages in the food chain. However, MAFF figures, produced in the context of assessing self-sufficiency, indicate that United Kingdom agricultural production destined for home consumption —that is, excluding exports—accounts for about one quarter of total expenditure on food and imports for another quarter. The composition of the remaining half is less certain, though it appears that this may also be attributable fairly equally to food manufacturing and to distribution, with retailing accounting for the greater proportion of the latter.