§ LORD MACPHERSON OF DRUMOCHTERasked Her Majesty's Government:
Where they expect supplies of butter to come from for the United Kingdom up to March, 1971, and for the following twelve months; and whether they expect the position to be satisfactory for both periods.
EARL ST. ALDWYNThe following was the allocation of the butter import quota of 425,000 tons announced on March 23, 1970:
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Argentina … 3,780 tons Australia … 67,600 Austria … 1,670 Belgium … 250 Bulgaria … 810 Denmark … 93,500 Finland … 11,300 France … 3,960 Hungary … 1,520 Irish Republic … 30,000 Kenya … 500 Netherlands … 12,200 New Zealand … 176,000 Norway … 1,670 Poland … 12,060 are accommodated in dormitories of (a) 40 or over (b) 30 or over (c)
§ LORD ABERDAREInformation in the precise form requested is not available. The nearest available figures are:
30 beds and indicates that about 6.3 per cent. of children were either in dormitories of less than 20 beds or in mixed dormitories and that about 54.6 per cent. of adults were in dormitories of less than 30 beds.
Roumania … 2,820 tons South Africa. … 1,500 Sweden … 3,700 Uruguay … 160 China … £100,000 On November 4, in order to overcome a temporary supply difficulty on the United Kingdom market, the import of an additional 5,000 tons of butter was authorised. The butter will come from established nearby suppliers with butter available for early delivery, with individual allocations as follows:
Belgium … 50 tons Bulgaria … 100 Finland … 750 France … 300 Hungary … 100 Irish Republic. … 2,000 Netherlands … 800 Poland … 700 Roumania … 200 In view of shortfalls from some suppliers, we do not expect that this additional authorisation will result in total imports of butter in 1970–71 exceeding the original figure of 425,000 tons. None the less, our imports of butter, which make up about 90 per cent. of our total supply, should be adequate for the rest of the year.
919WADiscussions on the individual quota allocations for next year, 1971–72, have not yet begun and it is too early to announce details of our quota suppliers. However, I can assure the noble Lord 920WA that in determining the total amount of the butter quota full account is taken of the expected level of domestic consumption and production.
House adjourned at one minute before nine o'clock.