HC Deb 16 October 1975 vol 897 cc775-6W
Mr. Marten

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much surplus wine has been distilled into industrial alcohol in the EEC; at what cost; and what effect has this had on the price of domestically produced industrial alcohol.

Mr. Strang

In 1975 the Council of Ministers has approved programmes to aid the distillation of some 9.6 million hectolitres of surplus wine at an estimated cost to the European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund of 925 million units of account. I understand that so far this has had no discernible effect on United Kingdom alcohol prices.