§ Mr. Hicksasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state for the last 12-month period for which figures are available the total amount of beef consumed in the United Kingdom, and the proportion of this figure used for manufacturing purposes; and what were the chief sources of supply, including the United Kingdom, together with the actual amounts, of beef used in manufacturing and processing.
§ Mr. BishopTotal supplies of beef and veal available for human consumption in the United Kingdom in 1976 are provisionally estimated at 1,175.3 thousand tonnes.
Over 80 per cent. came from home production. Imports from EEC countries provided 14 per cent., of which half came from the Irish Republic; while the main source from other countries was just over 1 per cent. from Botswana.
Amounts of beef used in manufacturing and processing are not recorded in Government statistics, but it is estimated that between 14 per cent. and 18 per cent. of supplies may be used for these purposes.