§ Mr. Molyneauxasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what payments were made to the Government of the Irish Republic under the Anglo-Eire Free Trade Agreement in respect of livestock in the last accounting period for which figures are available; and what is his estimate of payments to be made in the current accounting period.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThere is no provision under the Anglo-Irish free trade area agreement for payments to the Government of the Irish Republic in respect of livestock. Under the agreement on store animals and carcase meat the United Kingdom Government agreed to pay to the Government of the Irish Republic sums equivalent to the annual average rate of United Kingdom deficiency payments on up to 25,000 tons of carcase beef and up to 5,500 tons of carcase lamb 117W imported into the United Kingdom in each fatstock year.
The amount so paid in 1971–72—April-March—was £508,181. We expect the payment relating to the present year to be substantially less.