§ Mr. Richard Sharplesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the quantities and value of honey produced for sale in the United Kingdom by home producers in the last 12 months to the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. HoyNo precise figures are available but on a rough estimate the quantity of honey produced in the United Kingdom in the 1969 season was between 4,000 and 4,500 tons whose retail value might have been some £2½ million to £2¾ million. As most beekeepers are amateurs it is impossible to say how much of this was produced for sale but 147W it is safe to assume that at least one-fifth was produced by whole-time or part-time professionals owning 40 colonies or more.