HC Deb 08 February 1977 vol 925 c607W
Sir A. Meyer

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the effect of the value of the green pound on the import of Irish beef and the marketing of beef from British producers.

Mr. Bishop

The recent change in the Irish Republic representative rate and the resulting increased difference between the Irish and United Kingdom rates currently produces a net Inca subsidy of 21.22 p/kg on exports of fresh and chilled carcase beef from the Republic to the United Kingdom. Republic exports to other destinations were similarly affected by the change which also produced an increase in the Republic's intervention price; the impact of the change was thus not exclusive to exports to the United Kingdom. The effect of the differential between the United Kingdom and Irish representative rates on the United Kingdom beef markets cannot be quantified.