HL Deb 12 March 1975 vol 358 cc393-4WA
Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

If cereals were to be sold into intervention:

  1. (a) where the intervention stores would be situated ;
  2. (b) what would be the terms of payment;
  3. (c) whether 1974 crop cereals would be accepted in July at 1975 intervention prices ; and
  4. (d) when the standards for the 1975 crop will be published.

The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of INDUSTRY (Lord Beswick)

  1. (a) There are 22 intervention centres for wheat and barley in the United Kingdom. Grain may be offered for delivery to one of the three centres nearest to where the grain is lying at the time of offer. The Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce would arrange through the Home-Grown Cereals Authority, acting as its agents, for suitable storage.
  2. (b) The price paid for grain would be the rate for the month for the nominated intervention centre, adjusted, where appropriate, for variation in quality. There may also be an adjustment for transport into store. Payment would be made once the grain had been taken over.
  3. (c) 1974 crop wheat or barley may be offered into intervention in July 1975, the last month of the 1974 crop year. They may also be offered in the 1975 crop year commencing in August. In either case they attract the appropriate intervention price.
  4. (d) Information about the 1975 quality standards will be published before the start of the 1975 crop year, that is, in August. It is expected that there will be no change from the standards which have applied in the United Kingdom since 1973.