§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what limit has been set by Common Market regulation on permitted imports into the United Kingdom of Cyprus sherry free of the countervailing tariff between 1st February and 31st December 1973.
§ Mrs. FennerThe draft regulation of the Council on this subject is still under discussion by the Community, but we expect it to provide for the import into244W the United Kingdom of Cyprus sherry free of countervailing duty up to a limit of 183,600 hectolitres—about 4,039,200 gallons—for the period between 1st February and 31st December 1973.
§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the amount of imports of Cyprus sherry during the last 11-months period for which figures are available.
§ Mrs. FennerCyprus sherry is not separately classified in the United Kingdom tariff, and precise information on imports before 1st February 1973 is not available. From that date, a separate record has been kept as required by the Community. Estimated imports for the 11-month period from June 1972 to April 1973 inclusive, taking account of actual figures for February to April 1973, were of the order of 4,120,000 gallons—about 187,000 hectolitres.
§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures he is taking to inform the Common Market Commission at regular intervals of British imports of Cyprus sherry, as decreed in the appropriate regulation of the Commission.
§ Mrs. FennerA written report of Customs clearances of Cyprus sherry for home use is forwarded to the Common Market Commission by the 16th of each month, in respect of the preceding month.
§ Mr. David Watkinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what is the estimated Common Market subsidy on Cyprus-type sherry produced in Common Market countries for the period 1st February to 31st December 1973; and what is the United Kingdom's estimated contribution to the subsidy;
(2) what imports of Cyprus-type sherry entered the United Kingdom from Common Market countries in the last period of 11 months for which figures are available; and what is the estimated amount of such products for the period 1st February to 31st December 1973.
§ Mrs. FennerAs far as is known, no sherry of the kind associated with Cyprus is produced in Common Market countries. There is a Community proposal that subsidies shall be paid on Community wines 245W similar to Cyprus sherry. No agreement on the identity of these similar wine products has yet been reached. No estimate of the Community subsidy can therefore be made, nor can statistics of imports into the United Kingdom be produced.