§ Mrs. GillanTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements will be made in the United Kingdom for 1993–94 under the EC surplus food scheme.
§ Mr. JackThe United Kingdom's full share of EC funding 1993–94 for the Community's surplus food scheme will be used for the distribution of beef. In previous years, butter has also been distributed but successful reductions of intervention stocks has meant that butter cannot now be made available under the scheme.
Some 6,200 tonnes of beef are being released from intervention stocks to be canned for allocation to designated organisations. Further quantities of beef may be made available early next year.
In addition to asking existing designated organisations to confirm that they still wish to participate in the scheme during 1993–94, agriculture Departments will also be inviting new applications from appropriate charitable and other non-profit-making organisations who wish to be designated.