§ Mr. Leeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what invitations have been made to Third world countries to inquire whether or not any of them wish to receive any of the intervention surplus butter now being offered to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics at preferential prices; and what replies if any, have been received.
§ Mr. Bishop:All exports of butter from the European Community, except those to the United States, would qualify for the same export subsidy as butter sold to the USSR. I understand that the butter currently being sold to the USSR comes from the market rather than from intervention stocks.
216WUnder the Community's food aid programmes, quantities of butter, in the form of butter oil, are supplied to developing countries on the basis of requests received. Currently, these amount to about 45,000 tonnes per annum.