§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost of support per ton of British food grains since 1980, both in constant and current prices, identifying separately the costs of set-aside schemes and identifying the proportion of that support met by public funds; and if he will estimate the proportion of that support directly translated into farm incomes.
§ Mr. RyderThe table shows the total cost to the Exchequer of support for cereals in the United Kingdom and the level of cereals production in each year since 1980. It is not possible to distinguish between expenditure on cereals for animal feed, for human consumption or for industrial use. In the period in question there was no expenditure on set-aside.
The measures funded by these expenditures are intended to support the prices received by cereal producers; their effect on producers returns, and hence farm incomes, depends on a number of factors which vary from year to year.
Expenditure Production At current prices At constant 1988–89 fore-cast prices2 £ million £ million mt 1980–81 157 247 19.5 1981–82 243 349 19.6 1982–83 337 452 21–9 1983–84 111 142 21.3 1984–85 368 448 26.6 1985–86 654 756 22.5 1986–87 114 128 24.5 1987–88 231 245 21.7 1 1988–89 166 166 21.0 Source: Annual Review of Agriculture.
1 Forecast.
2 Expressed in 1988–89 prices using the forecast GDP deflator at market prices.