§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what arrangements he has made for the continued import of New Zealand butter after 31 December; and what tonnage has been agreed with the EEC for 1981.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithArrangements for imports of New Zealand butter after 31 December have not yet been agreed.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the range of retail prices for cauliflowers in 1980; and what were the comparable price ranges in each of the previous five years.
§ Mr. WigginThe information requested is as follows:—
Cauliflowers: range of average retail prices (p per lb) 1980 … … … 19.9 25.5 1979 … … … 18.0 36.0 1978 … … … 14.6 26.0 1977 … … … 13.5 28.9 1976 … … … 13.9 19.4 1975 … … … 12.4 18.3 Source: Department of Employment Gazette.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, what is the purpose of the programme of destruction of cauliflowers and the fresh foodstuffs carried out by his Department in accordance with EEC rules.
§ Mr. WigginThe purpose of the Community scheme for the withdrawal from the market of horticultural produce is to avoid a collapse of the market in the interests of producers and consumers. Every attempt is made to dispose of the produce for human consumption in approved institutions or for livestock feed, provided further disturbance of the market is avoided. Because of its perishable nature however, much of the withdrawn produce has to be destroyed.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest total of surplus food stocks held by the EEC under intervention ar- 361W rangements; what were the comparable totals in each of the previous five years; and how much of the total is stored in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe following
QUANTITIES HELD IN EUROPEAN COMMUNITY INTERVENTION STORES European Community Totals (thousands of tonnes) United Kingdom only Commodity 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1980 Beef … … 262 307 307 217 219 235 20 Butter … … 64 194 172 213 319 179 27 Skimmed milk powder 1,037 1,294 1,078 882 353 231 2 Wheat … … 1,951 1,496 604 743 1,332 3,494 13 Barley … … 529 150 54 155 54 864 309 Rye … … 285 160 324 487 508 469 0.3 Durum … … 1 371 213 63 152 147 — Oilseed rape … … 5 7 2 1 21 64 4 Olive oil … … 14 46 49 99 81 76 — Note: The European Community mainly disposes of surplus sugar by subsidised exports to the world market. Intervention is rare and no reliable figures are available. There has never been any intervention buying of sugar in the United Kingdom.