§ Mr. Buchanasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of foods and feeding stuffs previously imported under Commonwealth preference on which a levy will be due as from 1st January 1974 showing in each case the country of origin ;
(2) if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a complete list of all United Kingdom imports of food and feeding stuffs on which levies are applied at present as a result of EEC membership and a complete list of all foods on which levies will become due as from 1st January 1974 as a result of EEC membership showing in each case the amount of levy due.
§ Mr. Anthony Stodart,pursuant to his replies [OFFICIAL REPORT, 18th December 1973 ; Vol. 866, c. 287–8], gave the following information:
The broad categories of food and feeding stuffs liable to levy as a result of EEC membership are:—
Beef: Pigmeat and pigmeat products:Dairy Products: Cereals and cereal preparations:Rice and Rice Products: Sugar and sugar preparations:Poultry meat, eggs and egg products: Olive oil.Processed fruit and vegetable products and some other manufactured foods containing leviable raw materials are subject to a variable component—or levy—calculable on the raw material content.
The principal products are:—
Sugar confectionery:Chocolate and other food preparations containing cocoa:Cakes, biscuits and flour confectionery:Processed fruit and vegetables including canned fruit and fruit juices containing added sugar:Jams, jellies and marmalades.In a number of cases no levy is at present being charged, either because world prices have reached similar levels to those of the Community or, where such arrangements are available, because the country of origin is co-operating with the Community's minimum import price system for the commodity concerned. By this means all Commonwealth suppliers 47W of wine, other than Cyprus, escape the countervailing duty ; in the case of Cyprus, special levy-free arrangements have been introduced for the bulk of Cyprus sherry shipped to the United Kingdom.
Where levies are being charged they are subject to reduction—and in some cases are completely offset—by the application of transitional and monetary compensatory amounts. Exceptionally such compensatory amounts do not apply to the import levy on olive oil which replaced the former United Kingdom import duty as from 1st February 1973. Imports of sugar from third countries for our domestic requirements are at present imported under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement to which special levy rates apply. Special arrangements also apply to the import of New Zealand butter and cheese.
In the case of apples and pears, where United Kingdom price levels are above those in the rest of the Community, the transitional compensatory amounts operate as a charge on imports.
48W
Live poultry meat of a weight not exceeding 185 g … … £0.770 each. Live poultry meat, other … … £0.0149–£0.0251 per lb. Dead poultry meat … … £0.0218–£0.0359 per lb. Poultry eggs (not for hatching) … … £0.0235–£0.0365 per doz. Dried egg … … £11.7155 per cwt. (Austria … … £9.3655 per cwt.). (Eastern Area … … £21.1155 per cwt.). Other egg not in shell … … £7.2555 per cwt. Liquid egg yolks … … £6.857 per cwt. (Eastern Area, Ethiopia, Switzerland … … £13.957 per cwt.). (Austria … … £4.507 per cwt.). Frozen egg yolks … … £6.567 per cwt. (Eastern Area, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Israel … … £14.267 per cwt.) Dried egg yolks … … £11.847 per cwt. (Eastern Area and Sweden … … £16.547 per cwt). Pigmeat … … £25.7 per ton. Whey powder … … £4.71 per ton. Skimmed milk powder … … £56.07 per ton. Whole milk powder … … £138.06 per ton. Unsweetened condensed milk … … £28.49 per ton. Sweetened condensed milk … … £78.09 per ton. Butter 82 per cent … … £174.92 per ton. Butter 80 per cent. … … £187.74 per ton. Emmenthal cheese … … £333.38 per ton. Blue veined cheese … … £46.30 per ton. Parmesan … … £284.14 per ton. Cheddar … … £224.91 per ton. (New Zealand … … £96.84 per ton). Gouda … … £252.53 per ton. Lactose … … £56.88 per ton. Olive Oil … … 3.200–6.00 u.a. per 100 k.g. Manioc … … £0.0052 per cwt. Oats, rolled and flaked … … £0.0146 per cwt. Millet and buckwheat starches … … £0.0256 per cwt. Glucose and glucose syrup … … £0.0101–£0.0612percwt. Levies are at present charged on:—
Poultry meat: eggs and processed eggs:Pigmeat: milk powder: condensed milk:Butter (other than from New Zealand):Cheddar cheese (with special rates of levy for New Zealand):Other cheeses (namely Emmanthal, Parmesan, Gouda and blue veined):Lactose: Olive oil: certain minor cereal products: Glucose and glucose syrup:Levies are also charged in respect of the sugar and flour content of:—
Chewing gum: sweetened cocoa powders: Ice cream: chocolate and chocolate goods, sweets, etc.:Pastry, biscuits and other fine bakers wares:Non alcoholic beverages:Jams, marmalades, etc: fruit juices:Canned fruit.There will be no change in the list of products liable to levy on 1st January 1974 from any source.
Community levies are variable and are normally adjusted at frequent intervals according to changes in world prices. As a result, a list of the rates of levy charged on any particular day is quickly out of date and can be misleading. The rates of levy charged on 1st January 1974 were as follows:—
49WThe majority of the items liable to levy mentioned in paragraph I enjoyed Commonwealth preference before our accession. On these products where there is a fixed duty element and a variable component Commonwealth preference is being phased out, but continuing preferential arrangements are being negotiated for many developing Commonwealth countries.