§ Mr. Blakerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give details illustrating his Written Answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool, South on 21st July that the price set by the Dutch national gas company for natural gas to growers of horticultural produce is lower than the price to industrial users.
§ Mr. StrangThe information we have is that the standard contract price for natural gas to growers of horticultural produce in the Netherlands using over 170,000 cubic metres of gas per annum is 8.874 centimes per cubic metre. In
1973–74 1974–75 (subject to audit) £ £ Members remuneration and expenses 13,261 14,861 Staff salaries etc. 135,658 182,738 Travelling and subsistence 22,736 27,688 General administrative expenses 56,944 58,769 Promotion and publicity 22,026 21,152 Education, research and management studies 7,259 14,923 Agency services (i.e. payments to Organisation Societies and others) 19,540 28,775 Once for all premium to update superannuation Scheme — 88,849 Move to New Covent Garden Market — 21,025 Expenditure under 21st January 1974 marketing arrangements excluding payments to ACMS etc. — 30,136 277,424 488,916 I am satisfied that the administrative costs are reasonable and I do not plan to bring forward proposals of the sort en
398Waddition, growers must pay a monthly standing charge of FL370. The standard contract price for industrial consumers using similar quantities of gas is 12.743 centimes per cubic metre. The Dutch national gas company, Gasunie, has recently announced that the price of gas to growers of horticultural produce will be raised to 10.013 centimes per cubic metre from 1st October 1975. As I said in my reply on 21st July, the prices charged in specific contracts will vary according to the situation at the time when a particular contract is signed.