HC Deb 14 March 1980 vol 980 cc775-6W
Mr. Leighton

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, whether

1979 consumption* Valued at farmgate or landed price‡ Valued at world prices§
('000 t) £m. £m.
Wheat 9,522 914 738
Barley 9,147 814 660
Maize 3,123 259 178
Liquid milk 7,357 m.l. 976 N.A.
Butter 345 437 182
Cheese 361 488 172
Beef and veal 1,214 1,626 1,184
Mutton and lamb 402 555 N.A.
Pigmeatt 1,312 1,035 911
Poultrymeat 764 694 501
Sugar 2,351 423 683
Potatoes 6,350 368 N.A.
Notes:
* Domestic market disappearance, i.e. production less exports plus imports.
† Excluding canned products.
‡ Maize, butter and cheese valued at the average landed value of imports; other items valued at average producer prices (adjusted to carcase weight equivalent for meats and to a refined sugar basis for sugar beet).
§ The third country offer prices used by the EEC Commission to determine the rates of import levy applicable on 16 February 1980 are taken as world prices. These prices do not necessarily reflect the price at which the United Kingdom could purchase significant quantities on the world market.

Mr. Leighton

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what was the guaranteed price of the principal agricultural products in 1970 and 1979 as a percentage of the current common agricultural policy price; and how this compares with the increase in the cost of living over the same period.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The table below shows the guaranteed price in 1970 for the main agricultural products as a percentage of certain current prices.

1970 guaranteed price as percentage of 1979/80 CAP price (a)
Fat Cattle 25.4
Fat Pigs 30.2
Milk 32.6
Wheat 34.0
Barley 30.3
Sugar Beet 34.1

(a) The CAP prices taken for the 1979/80 marketing year are: for fat cattle (intervention

he will publish in the Official Report a table showing United Kingdom consumption of the principal agricultural products, the cost to the economy of the amount consumed in terms of farmgate or landed prices, and the cost of the same quantity when purchased at the current world price.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The following table gives the nearest available information:

price), for fat pigs (basic price), for milk (target price), for wheat and barley (single intervention price) and for sugar beet (minimum beet price). The conversion to £ sterling is at the green rate applicable on 6 March 1980.

The retail price index for 1970 as a percentage of its current level in January 1980 is 29.8 per cent. Thus, between 1970 and January 1980 the increase in the cost of living in the United Kingdom, as measured by the retail price index, was about 235 per cent.