§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what price British wholesalers buy sugar per kilogramme; at what price the European Community sells sugar per kilogramme on the world market; what are the levels of European Community production and consumption of sugar; what is the level of the common agricultural policy expenditure on sugar subsidies; what is the cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the sugar market. [16132]
§ Mr. JackInformation on actual prices paid for bulk white sugar is not available. However, prices are likely to be in the range of the effective support price provided by the sugar regime and producers "list" prices—between about 57p per kilogramme and 68p per kilogramme. 621W Export refunds enable Community bulk white sugar to be sold at the world price, which is currently around 25p per kilogramme, free on board.
Estimates of production and consumption of sugar in the European Community are given in the "Agricultural Situation in the Community, 1993 Report", a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
The provisional outturn for Community expenditure on sugar in 1994 is 2,062 mecu—£1,593 million1. Production and storage levies contributed 1,118 mecu—£864 million1—to own resources.
Details of the Exchequer cost of CAP support in the UK for sugar can be found in section 1 of table 9.1 of "Agriculture in the UK", copies of which have been deposited in the Library of the House. The UK also contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of the CAP support in other member states.
1£1=1.2945 ecu.