§ Mr. Teddy TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the 373W amount spent by the EEC in subsidising the production of tobacco and in storing and disposing of surplus production; what were the comparable totals in each of the
Year Total Cost Premia Export Refunds Intervention (mecu) (mecu) per cent. (mecu) per cent. (mecu) per cent 1984 776 712 92 36 4 28 4 1985 863 819 95 32 4 12 1 1986 782 734 94 32 4 16 2 1987 804 734 91 43 6 27 3 1988 966 895 93 43 4 28 3 11989 1,033 911 88 49 5 73 7 1 estimate The Council of Ministers has approved the Commission's proposal for an agricultural stabiliser system for tobacco, which will reduce prices and premiums for the 1989 and 1990 harvests by up to 15 per cent. If prescribed levels of production are exceeded. We have keenly supported this development, which is in line with our policy of seeking to reduce expenditure on this regime through reorientation of production away from the less-marketable and higher tar varieties.