§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that the Agriculture Fund under the European Economic Community is an open-ended commitment and the Commission is required to spend whatever it decides to keep prices at intervention levels in all the producing areas, and that the annual rise in such expenditure was £250 million since 1966; on what basis in the White Paper he estimates a rise of only £65 million a year between 1971 and 1973 and £40 million a year between 1973 and 1977; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe rate of increase in expenditure in past years reflects the introduction of Community financing of support buying and export aids in 1967–68, the extension of support to additional commodities and the cost of buying and disposing of exceptional surpluses. In future years the cost; both of extending support to additional commodities and of handling surpluses, should be less. These factors were taken into account in the assumptions made in paragraph 93 of the White Paper as to the total budget of the enlarged Community in future years.