§ Mr. William RossTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has about persons or firms from the Irish Republic purchasing raw wool from farmers in Northern Ireland and about the price offered for such wool by purchasers in Northern Ireland; and what is his estimate of the consequences of wool being moved across the land frontier to the Republic.
§ Mr. Ancram[holding answer 18 July 1994]: The British wool marketing scheme permits the sale of wool in its raw state—that is, unsorted and ungraded—to buyers outside the United Kingdom. Little information is available about persons or firms from the Republic of Ireland who purchase raw wool from farmers in Northern Ireland or about the prices offered for such wool by such purchasers. The quantity of wool exported to the Republic of Ireland in 1993, however, was insubstantial and the prices paid are likely to have been lower than those paid for 197W wool sold to the British wool marketing board. The effect on the British wool market of exports of such small quantities is not expected to be significant.