HC Deb 31 March 1976 vol 908 cc506-7W
Mr. Biffen

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors in the EEC proposals on skimmed milk powder disposal have determined that inclusions in animal feeds of soya and grass meal should be charged at £17 and £2.85 per tonne, respectively, whereas there is no charge for inclusion of fish meal.

Mr. Bishop

In drawing up the scheme, the Commission was concerned not to discriminate between home-produced and imported products. It therefore selected those products on which Community subsidies were payable and those which are not produced within the Community. As there is no Community subsidy on fish-meal, enforcement would have been difficult and it was therefore not included in the scheme. I must emphasise that the scheme involves the lodging of securities, redeemable on production of receipts for the purchase of skimmed milk powder, not the making of charges for inclusion of products in animal feeding stuffs. The sterling equivalent of the amount of security applicable to each product is at present under consideration.

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