§ Mr. Ronald Atkinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the cost to the United Kingdom of the Common Market's agricultural policy of storing skimmed milk powder.
§ 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, 11.04 per cent. in 1974 and 13.57 per cent. in 1975.
Expenditure by the Communities on the storage of skimmed milk powder was £0.5 million in 1973—£6.8 million* in 1974 and expenditure in 1975 is estimated at £23.3 million.
* This figure reflects the change in the value of skimmed milk powder. All figures are converted from units of account at the rate of £1 = 22.4 ua.
Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the present world price of skimmed milk powder.
§ Mr. BishopThere is no easily identifiable basis for measuring world prices, and comparisons of skimmed milk prices are made difficult by differences on quality, presentation of products, stage of marketing and destination.
Subject to these reservations, the average price of skimmed milk powder imported into the United Kingdom in January 1976, the latest month for which such information is available, was £509 per metric ton cif.
Mr. Wm. Rossasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food where the 4,000 tons of skimmed milk powder held by the Intervention Board in the United Kingdom originated; and where it is stored.
§ Mr. BishopI assume the hon. Member is referring to the skimmed milk180W powder recently advertised for sale for export to third countries for use as animal feed. This powder was manufactured in the United Kingdom and is stored in 14 commercial warehouses in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.