§ 20. Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made in securing reforms to the common agricultural policy since the Stuttgart summit.
§ Mr. JoplingThe European Council on 17 to 19 June called for a comprehensive review of the common agricultural policy as part of the negotiations on the future financing of the Community. The first step will be for the Commission to present proposals, which it has been asked to do by 1 August.
§ 25. Mr. Ioan Evansasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest estimate of the cost to the nation and the consumer of the operation of the common agricultural policy.
§ Mr. JoplingAny estimate of this kind would require assumptions about the alternative agricultural policy which would operate in the absence of the common agricultural policy. It is now over a decade since this policy was implemented here, and therefore assumptions on what might or might not obtain in its place are increasingly matters for speculation.
§ Mr. Campbell-Savoursasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his latest estimate of the amount by which the cost of the common agricultural policy will increase in the current year 592W compared with the European Community budget figure; and what increase this will mean for the United Kingdom contribution.
§ Mr. JoplingLast week the Council of Ministers established a draft supplementary and amending budget for 1983 which includes an extra 1,761 million ecu for expenditure on the common agricultural policy. The increase in the United Kingdom's gross contribution will be at our normal marginal financing share of about 20 per cent. of the extra expenditure.