§ Lord HYLTONasked Her Majesty's Government:
In view of the approaching end of the British transitional period, what steps they are taking within the EEC to achieve harmonisation of the price of butter, given that it has been stated that the price of butter to the producer expressed in sterling is at present in Britain £1,142 per tonne, in Ireland £1,520, in France £1,645, in the Netherlands £1,985 and in Western Germany £2,135.
§ Lord STRABOLGIDuring the transitional period the intervention prices for butter in the United Kingdom and in the Republic of Ireland are being progressively aligned with the common intervention price applicable in the rest of the EEC. After the final transitional step has been taken on 31st December 1977 the intervention price, expressed in EEC units of account, will be the same throughout the Community. The conversion of these prices into national currencies takes place at special fixed rates (the "green rates") which are not necessarily adjusted as market rates of exchange change. For this reason CAP support prices in the various Member States when expressed in any one national currency may continue to differ.