§ Mr. Prescottasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the average price over the past month on the latest available period for beef, veal, lamb, butter, cheese, lard, wheat and maize in the Common Market countries and non-EEC countries, respectively.
§ Mr. PeartThere is no easily identifiable basis on which prices for most
AVERAGE UNIT VALUES OF UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF CERTAIN COMMODITIES—MARCH 1975 Commodity EEC Countries £ per ton c.i.f. Non-EEC Countries £ per ton c.i.f. Butter … … … France … … … 805.78 New Zealand … … 470.32* Netherlands … … 794.03 Denmark … … … 780.28 Cheddar-type cheese … Irish Republic … … 831.89 New Zealand … … 406.10* Netherlands … … 910.91 Lard … … … Belgium/Luxembourg … 268.73 Spain … … … 223.13 Netherlands … … 292.75 Hungary … … … 248.60 Italy … … … 233.79 Poland … … … 271.43 USA … … … 346.95 Wheat† … … … Denmark … … … 64.14 USA … … … 99.88 France … … … 68.71 Canada … … … 90.52 Maize … … … France … … … 52.89 USA … … … 65.83 West Germany … … 65.01 South Africa … … 79.28 Beef and veal … … No reliable comparison possible owing to suspension of imports from most non-EEC countries. Lamb … … … No reliable comparison possible as only very small amounts received from EEC countries in March. * Special minimum import price. † Hard wheat is not grown in the Community. Figures are for Community soft wheat and North American Hard Sources: Overseas Trade Accounts. Customs and Excise Tabulation Sheets.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the guaranteed price and/or minimum import price in the United Kingdom on 1st January 1971 and 1st January 1975 for all the foods now subject to EEC agreements and common agricultural policies; and how these prices compare with the present or, where appropriate, agreed future price payable in the United Kingdom and in the Six, respectively, under those agreements and policies;
(2) what was the United Kingdom price of beef per live hundredweight on 1st January 1972, 1st November 1974 and 1st May 1975; and how these prices compared with the current and any proposed new intervention price for beef in the EEC.
§ Mr. PeartI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 21st May.—[Vol. 892, c.435–6.]
722Wcommodities in Community and non-Community countries can be compared. Direct comparisons of the prices of foodstuffs from different national sources are also difficult to make because of differences in quality, grading and presentation of products. Subject to these reservations, the latest comparison of average unit values of foods imported into the United Kingdom is given in the following table.