§ Mr. Leeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will ensure that no Common Market intervention foodstuffs fit for human consumption in the United Kingdom are ever disposed of in future by way of either conversion into animal feedingstuffs, or destroyed, or are sold off in circumstances detrimental to British food growers, or are sold off at less than economic prices in Eastern Europe; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BishopRules for the disposal of produce withdrawn from the market by producer groups and for the sale of public stocks in intervention stores, which
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1975–78 '000 tonnes (unless otherwise stated) Commodity 1975 1978 (forecast) Percentage change 1978 over 1975 Milk (million litres) 13,343 15,191 + 13.8 Beef 1,219 1,079 −11.5 Mutton and lamb 264 248 −61 Pigmeat 824 876 + 6.3 Poultrymeat 628 692 + 10.2 Eggs (million dozen) 1,116 1,168 +4.7 All cereals 13,936 17,425 +25.0 Sugar(a) 641 1,025 +59.9 Potatoes 4,551 6,794 +49.3 Oilseed rape 67 162 + 141.8 Horticulture (£ million)(b) 528 709 +34.3 Notes:
- (a) Refined basis.
- (b) Valued at current prices.
Source: Annual Review of Agriculture 1979 (Cmnd. 7436).
The White Paper"Food from Our Own Resources"did not set targets for individual commodities, but included projections and guidelines on the balance
548Win the United Kingdom may include butter, skimmed milk powder, beef and cereals, are included in EEC market regulations. Subject to the EEC rules it is my right hon. Friend's objective to ensure that surplus food is released for human consumption within the Community when this can be done without upsetting the market.