§ Mr. Juddasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a progress report on negotiations with the EEC to ensure both access of 1.4 million tons of Commonwealth sugar and a sound EEC policy towards a viable future International Sugar Agreement with the needs of Third World sugar producers to the fore.
§ Mr. GodberDiscussions are continuing within the Community on the basis of the Commission's proposals for the Community's future sugar arrangements as a whole, which I described in my statement to the House on 18th July. At the September meeting of the Council of Ministers I reaffirmed strongly the need to ensure access of 1.4 million tons from the developing Commonwealth countries. Because of the failure of the United Nations Sugar Conference, which ended on 13th October, there is no early prospect of an effective International Sugar Agreement. But the Community should, in our view, so frame its sugar policy that it can accede to any future such agreement on fair terms.[Vol. 860, cc. 484–487.]
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the whole or part of United Kingdom refined sugar consumption in 1973 is to be counted in the EEC special intervention price calculation for 1974 and who made this decision; and what are the reasons for the choice made.
§ Mr. GodberUnder Article 9 of EEC Regulation 1009/67, which automatically became applicable in the United Kingdom as a result of our accession, only sugar which is derived from beet or cane harvested in the Community may be offered to the intervention authorities. Refined sugar produced from imported Commonwealth raw sugar is, therefore, ineligible for intervention. This provision, however, does not affect the only Community decision due to be taken in relation to the intervention prices, namely 89W their level from 1st July 1974. The basic EEC intervention prices for raw and white sugar applicable from this date will probably be decided in the spring; and corresponding derived intervention prices for the United Kingdom will then be fixed in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 52 of the Treaty of Accession.
§ Mr. Martenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when a decision is likely on the Common Market joining the International Sugar Agreement.
§ Mr. GodberBecause of the failure of the recent United Nations Sugar Conference, the present International Sugar Agreement, which expires at the end of this year, is likely to be replaced by an agreement containing purely administrative provisions, with no powers to regulate the international sugar market. No doubt the Community will be considering in due course whether it should join this agreement.