§ Mr. Ridleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state, for the latest convenient year, the total annual cost of: (1) the import of food into the United Kingdom, (2) home production of food at the farm gate, (3) the processing, distribution, transport, packaging and retailing of food in the United Kingdom, and (4) food to the retail purchaser.
§ Mrs. FennerIt is estimated that total expenditure on food in the United Kingdom in 1971–72 was about £8,300 million, of which about £1,800 million represented the value of food imports, about £2,000 million the farm-gate value of the output of food from domestic agriculture, and about £4,500 million the cost of processing and distribution.