§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what means the interests of the United Kingdom are to be represented at the forth-
626Wto work for a change in the method of calculation of monetary compensatory amounts for pigmeat which will enable our producers and processors to compete on fairer terms with overseas competitors.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has any statistics on the amount of money spent on advertising by Danish pig producers in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. John SilkinI have no official information on the amounts spent on advertising Danish pigmeat in the United Kingdom, but there have been Press reports that Danish agricultural producers have planned a £300,000 campaign to promote Danish bacon on our market during the period January—April this year.
§ Mr. Watkinsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will state the number of pig slaughterings in the United Kingdom month by month over the last six months.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe following is the information up to the end of January, the most recent complete month for which statistics are available.
coming International Sugar Agreement meetings in Geneva.
§ Mr. BishopThe EEC Commission will negotiate on behalf of the Community on the basis of a mandate to be adopted by the Council of Ministers. Throughout the discussions the Commission will consult with member States, and the United Kingdom will be sending a delegation to Geneva for this purpose.
§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the expected surplus of sugar expected in the European Economic Community for the current year and the respective world and EEC prices.
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§ Mr. BishopThe Community's exportable surplus after taking into account stock requirements is expected to be about 1.4 million tonnes for the crop year October 1976 to September 1977. The intervention price for the marketing year July 1976 to June 1977 for the area of greatest surplus is 331.4 units of account—£188.77 at the present representative rate—per tonne. The average of the London daily price for white sugar for the period 1st July 1976 to 28th February 1977 is £164.54 per tonne.
§ Dr. McDonaldasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what surplus of white sugar Common Market Agricultural Ministers expect by 1978; and what the British Government's policy will be towards the disposal of such a surplus.
§ Mr. BishopThe quantity of sugar produced surplus to the Community's requirements in 1977–78 will depend in part on the decisions which the Council will take on prices and associated measures for 1977–78 and in part on other factors, including the weather. The Commission's proposals for 1977–78, in particular the proposed reduction in the maximum quota, are intended to restrain the level of Community sugar production. We firmly support this objective. Our general attitude to the disposal of surplus commodities is that, where appropriate, the Community consumer should be given priority. When surplus sugar needs to be disposed of by export refunds, our view is that this should be done at the least possible cost to FEOGA and with the least possible disturbance to the world market.