§ Mr. Gryllsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the subjects on which professional consultants' reports were commissioned by his Department, and the total cost to the Department of such reports, in each of the years 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978.
§ 1974 Mr. John Silkin:Annual investigations of milk distributive costs in England and Wales and in Northern Ireland are conducted by professional accountants on behalf of my Department. The cost in each of the last five calendar years is given below, but, as payment is made in arrears, payments made in any period do not necessarily represent the value of work done in the same period.
£ 1974 88,877 1975 116,474 1976 113,484 1977 200,932 1978 152,395 Below is a list of reports commissioned individually from professional consultants:
650WAnalysis of statistics for Central Veterinary Laboratory epidemiological unit.
Economic impact on food retailing of hypermarkets and supermarkets.
Food manufacturing industries and their ownership structures in EEC member States.
Monitoring of food prices for specified commodities.
Processed food in EEC member States.
Total cost £77,782
1975
Silo wall stresses
Cost £1,125
1976
Box-Jenkins time series analyses for the United Kingdom meat sector.
Food manufacturing industries and their ownership structures in EEC member States—updating of 1974 report.
Total cost £28,100
1977
Nil.
1978
Cadmium in crabmeat in northern Scotland.
Food waste in catering establishments.
Recommended loadings for farm buildings (addendum to BSI Code of Practice).
Economic advice, including the effects of taxation on agriculture*.
Role of the financial institutions in agriculture*.
Marketing strategy for United Kingdom bacon producerst†
Total cost £11,750.
*Reports commissioned for the Committee of Inquiry into the Acquisition and Occupancy of Agricultural Land.
†Report commissioned jointly and cost to be shared with the National Economic Development Office and the bacon industry.