§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the cost to the British taxpayer, in each year the United Kingdom has been in membership, of EEC policies to store or destroy beef, milk powder, wine or fruit; and what has been the cost of subsidised exports to third countries such as the Soviet Union.
§ Mr. BishopThe United Kingdom contributes to the Communities' budget as a whole and not to its individual parts. The United Kingdom contribution was 8.78 per cent. in 1973 and 11.04 per cent. in 1974.
The costs of the EEC policies are set out below:
COST OF STORAGE 1973 1974 £ million £ million Beef and veal 5.6 102.8 Skimmed milk powder 0.5 −6.8* Wine 2.8 10.8 * This figure reflects the change in the value of skimmed milk powder stocks. There is no policy for storing fruit
Where there are surpluses of these products in their original form they are, with the exception of beef which is stored in frozen or preserved form, converted into other products either for human or animal consumption or for other uses. Separate figures for the cost of conversion of wine and fruit are not available. The cost of conversion of powdered skimmed milk cannot be separated from 43W that of liquid milk. The cost of conversion of both products was £169.3 million in 1973 and £234.6 million in 1974.
COST OF SUBSIDISED EXPORTS TO THIRD COUNTRIES 1973 1974 £ million £ million Beef and veal * 1.1 23.1 Milk products * 310.2† 143.5 Wine 0.2 0.04 Fresh fruit and vegetables * 10.5 7.1 * Figures for beef, milk powder and fruit are not separately available. † Includes sale of butter to USSR, £121.8 million. All the figures are converted from units of account at the rate of £1 = 2.4 u.a.