§ Mr. Martenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will set out in the Official Reportthe stocks of butter, skimmed milk, cheese, beef, wine, olive oil, wheat, maize and sugar held in the EEC; by what percentage these stocks are surplus to EEC consumption; and how much of these items are imported into the United Kingdom from other EEC countries.
§ Mr. Bishop:I assume the hon. Member is asking about stocks held in official intervention stores. Latest figures supplied by the EEC Commission are given in the table. Because of the seasonality of production and marketing it is not possible to estimate the extent to which these stocks are surplus to EEC consumption. But the third column 296W shows the official intervention stocks expressed as a percentage of EEC consumption in 1976.
Commodity Official Intervention Stocks (tonnes) Official Intervention Stocks as a percentage of EEC consumption in 1976 Per cent. Imports into United Kingdom from other EEC countries in 1976 (tonnes) Butter 170,000 10 271,000 Skimmed milk 1,065,000 58 22,000 Cheese Nil Nil 113,900 Beef 346,600 6 165,900 Olive oil 37,000 9 1,400 Common wheat 420,000 1* 1,901,000 Maize Nil Nil 525,400 Sugar Nil Nil 303,600 *Based on consumption in the crop year 1976–77. There is no buying or storage of wine by community agencies.