§ 94. Mr. Stodartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the estimated tonnage of sugar beet to be sliced each year at the Cupar factory in order to enable it to be operated at a profit.
§ Mr. Stodartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state the amount of capital spent on modernising the sugar beet factory and plant at Cupar in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. RossThe figures are as follows:
£ Year ending 31.3.59 65,170 Year ending 31.3.60 70,667 Year ending 31.3.61 88,644 Year ending 31.3.62 243,999 Year ending 31.3.63 48,939 Year ending 31.3.64 34,476 6 months* until 30.9.64 242,095 Year ending 30.9.65 162,555 Year ending 30.9.66 21,548 Year ending 30.9.67 10,893 Year ending 30.9.68 1,648 £990,634 * There was a change in accounting periods in 1964.
§ Mr. Stodartasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state, in respect of the sugar beet factory at Cupar, the number of acres contracted for, the number of tons of beet sliced, and the profit or loss made in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. RossThe figures of acreage and tonnage sliced are as follows:ߞ278W
Year Number of Acres Contracted Number of Tons Sliced 1959–60 16,000 238,366 1960–61 16,000 240,136 1961–62 15,982 183,309 1962–63 16,000 176,592 1963–64 15,500 129,127 1964–65 11,306 125,057 1965–66 9,050 101,140 1966–67 7,237 78,883 1967–68 6,785 92,794 1968–69 9,017 108,015 1969–70 13,620 — In the last 10 years, the British Sugar Corporation has operated under three different incentive agreements. Comparable figures for profits and losses are only available for operations under the existing agreement which came into operation from the 1964–65 season. Including profits from refining and packing raw sugar from other factories, and excluding the transport subvention (which will cost the Corporation approximately £70,000 in 1969–70) the losses made at Cupar are as follows:—
- Year ending 30.9.65 loss of £145,000
- Year ending 30.9.66 loss of £187,000
- Year ending 30.9.67 loss of £188,000
- Year ending 30.9.68 loss of £182,000