HC Deb 26 March 1979 vol 965 cc45-6W
Mr. Walter Johnson

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent discussions he has had with the chairman of the Potato Marketing Board about the proposed third increase in the price of potatoes.

Mr. Bishop

I do not know to what proposals my hon. Friend is referring. Prices of fresh potatoes in the shops are determined by the day-to-day balance be- States are set out in the appropriate EEC regulations. They are published in the Official Journals of the European Communities which are held in the Library of the House.

Mr. Lee

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of that part of the Common Market budget devoted to agriculture for the years 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978 was spent on the subsidised sales of Common Market commodity surpluses; and what percentage of the current year's budget has been so spent to date during the current year.

Mr. John Silkin

The information requested for 1975–77 is shown in the following table. Figures for expenditure in 1978 and 1979 are not available, but the table shows the percentage figures for appropriations in those years.

tween supply and demand, and usually rise in spring and early summer as the maincrop season draws to a close.