§ Mr. Biffenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the compensatory payments per dozen eggs and per pound of oven-ready chicken which currently subsidise the importation of Common Market Poultry products; what percentage charge these represent over the figures agreed at the EEC ministerial meeting in January; and what is the current level and trend of imports of poultry products from the EEC.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe actual rates of compensatory amounts to be applied in March are shown below. These are calculated on the basis of world cereal prices in the first 25 days of the previous month. The figure in brackets indicate the percentage change of the monthly rates from the full compensatory amounts. The reductions are made to take account of the reductions in cereal compensatory amounts which in turn reflect recent changes in cereals prices in the world market. The effect is to ensure that the compensatory amounts for eggs and poultry reflect the actual differences in cereal feed costs between the United Kingdom and other member States.
- Eggs 2.01p/dozen (—30 per cent.).
- Chicken 70 per cent. 1.29p/dozen (—20 per cent.).
Imports of eggs in February are provisionally estimated to have amounted to not more than 2 per cent. of total supplies. Imports of other egg and poultry products have been negligible.
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§ Mr. GodberThere are two committees which I or my predecessor have set up to investigate matters and which have reported since January 1971 and one such committee which is still serving. They are: