§ Mr. Leeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in how many instances Common Market food surpluses that have been sold off at less than economic prices to East European countries were first offered to countries of the Third World; in how many such instances such surpluses were offered at prices advantageous to Third World countries as those governing sales to Eastern Europe; if he will seek to persuade the EEC in future to give priority to poor countries when disposing of surplus; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Strang,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 23rd May 1975; Vol.
174W10. I regret that information is not yet available about the total amount of fraud and irregularities in relation to FEOGA which were uncovered in 1974, but in the years 1971, 1972 and 1973, taken together the situation was as summarised below:
892, c. 720], gave the following information:
In general intervention stocks exported outside the EEC are disposed of by open sale on fixed terms or by invitation to tender and are not offered to particular countries or traders in advance—though an arrangement was made in April 1973 to sell butter from intervention stocks to the USSR with the help of a subsidy over and above the normal export refunds. Intervention stocks of butter, skimmed milk powder and cereals have contributed substantially towards the Community's food aid programme, and the disposal of such stocks in future is one of the questions which will be considered in the stocktaking review of the common agricultural policy.