HC Deb 02 August 1963 vol 682 c175W
Mr. Prior

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps will be taken to ensure that, under the provisions of the Anglo-Irish Agreement, all exports of refined sugar or sugar-containing goods from Eire to Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom will have their source in Commonwealth raw sugar.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

Foreign sugar imports into the Irish Republic may not, under the Agreement, exceed the quantity exported as sugar or in sugar-containing goods to countries other than the United Kingdom. It follows therefore that consumption in the Irish Republic and exports to this country will be covered by sugar produced in the Irish Republic and imports of Commonwealth sugar.

Mr. Prior

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the price at which he resold the 10,000 tons of refined beet sugar to the Irish Sugar Company in accordance with Article 5 of the Irish Sugar Agreement, and the total cost of this transaction to the Irish Sugar Company or the United Kingdom consumer.

Mr. Scott-Hopkins

The price was £56.209486 per ton, making total receipts of £562,094 17s. 3d. Since the Sugar Board bought the sugar at £50 a ton, the Board receive a net £62,094 17s. 3d. on the transaction. The Irish Sugar Company has, in accordance with the Agreement, resold the sugar to manufacturers in the Republic of Ireland of sugar-containing goods for use in products to be exported to the United Kingdom.