§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the minimum prices, customs duties, levies, additional levies and compensating payments in force in the EEC for all food now subject to EEC agreements and common agricultural policies, indicating, where there is a range of products, a representative figure for important items of trade.
§ Mr. Peart, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 20th May 1975; Vol. 892 c. 365–7], supplied the following answer:
Because of the transitional arrangements for new member States and the variations between all member States in monetary compensatory amounts, the information requested is extremely complex and would involve disproportionate cost to obtain and publish in full in the Official Report.
Details of customs duties, levies and compensatory amounts in force on 21st May 1975 for imports to the United Kingdom from outside the Community of certain major foodstuffs are set out below. Information on minimum import prices was given in my reply to my hon. Friend of 20th May—[Vol. 892, c. 367–8.] Full details of import duties are contained in the Import Duties (General) (No. 5) Order 1974 (SI 1974 No. 2020). Full details of levy rates may be obtained from the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.
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Product Duty M.F.N. Common levy Accession compensatory amounts Monetary compensatory amounts Net United Kingdom Import levy £ Wheat … … … — 1.1203 £ per cwt. 0.8437 0.3845 0.0645 (Refund) Sugar: White undenatured — — — 24.5477 £ per long ton 24.5477 (Refund) Raw undenatured — — — 20.8290 £ per long ton 20.8290 (Refund) Butter … … … New Zealand* 238.76* £ per ton — 73.85 164.91 Cheese (cheddar) … New Zealand* 345.45* £ per ton — 63.76 281.69 Beef—chilled … … 12% + £0.1244 per cwt. 36.9932 £ per cwt. 5.7748 7.7834 28.3363 frozen … … 12% + £0.1244 per cwt. 38.8839 5.2491 7.5772 31.3383 (Imports under the GATT Quota are levy free). (Imports from Lome Convention countries are duty free, but pay levies). Lamb … … … 12% + £0.3734 per cwt. (including New Zealand). — — — — Fish—Cod … … 13% — — — — Haddock … 13% — — — — Mackerel … 4% — — — — Frozen Fillets … 13% — — — — Sweet Oranges … 1.6% + £0.1050 per cwt. (Preferential rates for Mediterranean countries). — — — — Apples … … £0.2656 per 100 Kg. + whichever is the greater of 2.4% or 0.56 U.A. per 100Kg. — — — — Tinned Pineapples† … 9.6% + £0.1650 per cwt. + levy on sugar content (at present Nil). — — — — Tinned peaches † … 13.2% + levy on sugar content (at present Nil). — — — — Tinned pears † … 16% + levy on sugar content (at present Nil. — — — — * For butter and cheese, the rates of special levy under Protocol 18 are shown. New Zealand accounts for the majority of our imports from outside the EEC. † Representative quality.