§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will bring his reply of 20 July 1983, Official Report, c. 134 about the European Community levies on agricultural products up to date by including information on the current rate of levies in relation to the United Kingdom intervention price and the world price, respectively.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe information requested, relating to 10 January 1984, is set out in the table.
The "world" prices used are generally the estimated lowest offer prices at the Community frontier underlying the Commission's calculation of the variable import levies; for pigmeat, poultrymeat and eggs the sluicegate price, less supplementary levy where appropriate, has been taken. These are the lowest prices recorded and it is highly likely we would need to pay higher prices on average if we purchased more on world markets.
United Kingdom levy as a percentage of (a) the intervention price in the United Kingdom and (b) the world price Per cent. (a) (b) Beef and veal 66 146 Pigmeat 34 43 Poultry meat — 24 Eggs — 50 Butter 60 125 Skimmed milk powder 61 118 Common wheat 41 51 Barley 33 37 Sugar 69 162 Notes
- (1) "Intervention prices" have been taken as:
- Beef and veal—intervention price converted to carcase equivalent using 54.4 per cent. killing-out co-efficient. Intervention buying is currently restricted to hindquarters only.
- Pigmeat—lowest intervention price.
- Butter—intervention price for 82 per cent. butter.
- Skimmed milk powder—intervention price.
- Common wheat—reference price for wheat of minimum bread-making quality.
- Barley—intervention price.
- Sugar—intervention price for white sugar plus storage levy.
- There are no intervention prices for poultrymeat and eggs.
- (2) "World Prices" have been calculated by subtracting the common levy from the threshold/guide price, both expressed in ECU. The beef price is also adjusted for duty.
- In the case of pigmeat, poultrymeat and eggs the "world price" has been taken as the sluicegate price less supplementary levy where appropriate.
- (3) The levies taken are at the full rate. In the case of beef, butter and sugar the United Kingdom obtains a large proportion of its third country imports at reduced rates of levy.