HC Deb 31 October 1979 vol 972 cc545-6W
Mr. Geraint Howells

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what was the value of New Zealand lamb imports into the United Kingdom in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1978, and to the latest available date in the current year; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what is his policy in relation to the import of lamb from New Zealand; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Peter Walker

The value of United Kingdom imports of New Zealand lamb in these years was as follows:

£'000 (cif)
1975 114,896
1976 120,624
1977 150,483
1978 162,985
1979 (January-August) 125,240
Year Income Expenditure Surplus/Deficit
£ £ £
1975–76 6,468,771 9,571,588 -3,102,817
1976–77 8,502,475 10,752,104 -2,249,629
1977–78 12,262,915 10,686,108 +1,576,807
1978–79 11,576,175 10,972,504 +603,671
1979–80 Not yet available

Similar information relating to heavy goods vehicle driver testing is as follows:—

Year Income Expenditure Surplus/Deficit
£ £ £
1975–76 451,355 1,668,500 -1,217,145
1976–77 972,076 1,492,941 -520,865
1977–78 1,299,175 1,437,644 -138,469
1978–79 1,517,870 1,465,371 +52,499
1979–80 Not yet available

The United Kingdom also imports some mutton from New Zealand, worth £8,577,000 in 1978.

I have repeatedly made clear that we wish to maintain our trading links with New Zealand and to preserve our supplies of frozen lamb from that country. We will not agree to any arrangement for a common organisation for sheepmeat which does not respect the Community's GATT obligations or which fails to provide for unhindered access of adequate quantities of New Zealand lamb to the United Kingdom market.

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