§ LORD O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
What contribution the Common Agricultural Policy of the E.E.C. has made to the increase in food prices in Britain.
§ LORD JACQUESThe increase in retail food prices in the United Kingdom attributable to our membership of the E.E.C. is currently estimated to be between ½ and 1 per cent.
§ Loan O'HAGANasked Her Majesty's Government:
What rise in the price of each basic foodstuff has resulted from our membership of the E.E.C.; and whether they will publish a table showing the rise, expressed in £ s d, for each foodstuff for each month, quarter and half year since our accession.
§ LORD JACQUESI regret that this information is not available in the detail requested by the noble Lord. At the1018WA present time it is estimated that for such items as apples, pears and a number of foodstuffs subject to the Common External Tariff, small price increases are resulting from our membership of the E.E.C., but in the case of cereals, some grains are available from Community sources at prices lower than those ruling on world markets. The overall effect, however, is estimated to be an increase of between ½ and 1 per cent. on food prices as a whole.