§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce selected the recipients of the 3,688 tons of surplus fruit and vegetables which were supplied free for animal feed; and if it is the practice of the board to publicise the availability and location of these free supplies of fruit and vegetables.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe Intervention Board does not select recipients of surplus fruit and vegetables which are withdrawn from the market by producer organisations.
Responsibility for the disposal of withdrawn produce rests with those organisations, who retain ownership of the produce until disposed of to an approved outlet.
All reasonable steps are taken, through the local Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food offices, to ensure that potential users are made aware of the availability of free produce.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the amounts of particular fruit and vegetables which were destroyed by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce in 1980 within the global total of 9,547 tons; and if he will provide the comparable totals of the destruction of particular fruits and vegetables in each of the previous five years.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe Intervention Board does not undertake the destruction of surplus fruit and vegetables withdrawn from the market. No tomatoes were destroyed by producers' organisations under common agricultural policy arrangements during 1980 and the preceding five years. The total quantities of apples, pears and cauliflowers destroyed during the period represented only 0.77 per cent., 1.18 per cent., and 0.44 per cent. respectively of total production. The quantities were as follows:390W
Apples Pears Cauliflowers Tomatoes Total 1975 Nil Nil Nil Nil Nil 1976 49 23 Nil Nil 72 1977 Nil Nil 235 Nil 235 1978 357 Nil 5,976 Nil 6,333 1979 6,601 2,195 Nil Nil 8,796 1980 8,040 695 812 Nil 9,547