HC Deb 25 January 1979 vol 961 cc233-5W
Mr. Michael Spicer

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the Government's policy towards the representation of agricultural interests on the boards of public organisations affecting agriculture, such as electricity boards and water authorities.

Mr. Charles R. Morris

I have been asked to reply.

The boards of public organisations are selected in accordance with the provisions of the governing statutes and members are chosen for the relevant experience which they bring to bear. People with various interests including agriculture may be considered but, unless the statute so provides, it is not the Government's policy to reserve places for interest groups.

Mr. Spearing

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will tabulate in the Official Report for each of the commodities listed in his replies of 19 May 1978, cols. 353–6, the quantities of produce in EEC intervention stores at a given date, the estimated disposals on world markets in 1979 together with the estimated export refunds, together with intra—and extra—monetary compensation payments and currency adjustments and grant total of estimate supports other than storage costs for 1979.

Mr. Bishop

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 17 January 1979; Vol. 960, c. 798, gave the following information:

TABLE 2
ESTIMATED DISPOSALS* ON WORLD MARKETS ON WHICH ORIGINAL EAGGF GUARANTEE SECTION 1979 BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS WERE BASED
Cereals (including rice) … … … … … … … … 15.5 million tonnes†
Milk products—
(i) Butter … … … … … … … … … 215 thousand tonnes†
(ii) SMP … … … … … … … … … 440 thousand tonnes†
Beef … … … … … … … … … … … 150 thousand tonnes
Sugar … … … … … … … … … … 2.6 million tonnes
NOTES TO TABLE 2:—
* Disposals at prices below full EEC levels including disposals in the from of food aid.
† No direct comparisons should be made between these figures and those for export refunds in Table 3 below since the coverage is not identical.
TABLE 3
EAGGF GUARANTEE SECTION 1979 BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS MEUA (£m.)
Export refunds Subsidised sales Other (including agricultural production aids but not intervention purchase and storage) Total
Cereals (including rice) … … 1,477.9 (985.3) 125.2 (83.5) 157.3 (104.8) 1,760.4 (1,173.6)
Milk products … 1,572.9 (1,048.6) 1,159.4 (772.9) 81.8 (54.6) 2,814.1 (1,876.1)
Beef … … … 122.7 (81.8) — 72.1 (48.0) 194.8 (129.8)
Sugar … … 751.8 (501.2) 7.1 (4.7) 243.3 (162.2) 1,002.2 (668.1)
Wine … … 5.6 (3.7) — 79.9 (53.3) 85.5 (57.0)
Olive oil … … 1.1 (0.8) 4.8 (3.2) 299.7 (199.8) 305.6 (203.8)
Tobacco … … 5.4 (3.6) — 232.0 (154.7) 237.4 (158.3)
Other … … 334.1 (222.7) 204.8 (136.6) 318.6 (212.4) 857.5 (571.7)
TOTAL … … 4,271.5 (2,847.7) 1,501.3 (1,000.9) 1,484.7 (989.8) 7,257.5 (4,838.4)
MONETARY COMPENSATORY AMOUNTS RELATING TO THE FARM BUDGET
Intra Community Trade … … … … … … … … … 681.8 (454.5)
Extra Community Trade … … … … … … … … … 127.4 (84.9)
GRAND TOTAL … … … … … … … … … 8,066.7 (5,377.8)
NOTES TO TABLE 3:—
(a) The figures for appropriations are drawn from the letter of amendment to the draft general budget of the European Communities for 1979 (dated 6 October 1978) which has been deposited in the House.
(b) Export refunds include the cost of refunds on food aid.
(c) The heading "Subsidised Sales" includes all forms of aid to sale or processing.
(d) It is not possible to identify separately the appropriations relating to butter within the totals for milk products generally for the 1979 budget.
(e) The sugar regime provides for levies as well as payments; the levies appear as revenue in Chapter 11 of the EEC Budget.
(f) Expenditure arising from the application of different exchange rates to the guarantee sector of the farm budget has been divided by commodity in the 1979 budget and so a separate entry does not appear.
(g) Conversions to sterling have been made at the rate of 1.50 EUA = £1.