HC Deb 04 December 1981 vol 14 cc264-5W
Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Defence when he now expects to make a decision on the type of missile, the number of submarines and the number of missiles per submarine respectively, of the Trident programme.

Mr. Blaker

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 10 November to the hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed (Mr. Beith).—[Vol. 12, c. 410.]

Mr. Speed

asked the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the total expenditure on the Trident programme up to the most recent convenient date; and what proportion of this has come out of the naval target heading.

Mr. Blaker

Estimated expenditure on Trident in the financial years 1981–82 and 1982–83 was about £4 million to £5 million and £60 million respectively. Expenditure on Trident to date remains within these estimates. Current expenditure is controlled by the Vote system, not by target heading.

Total European Community exports* Expenditure on Export Refunds (MECU)†
1978 '000 tonnes 1979 '000 tonnes 1980 '000 tonnes 1981‡ '000 tonnes 1978 1979 1980 1981**
Wheat 1,917 4,362 7,524 1,543
Wheat flour 2,244 2,547 3,024 615
Barley 3,783 3,111 4,309 903
Rye 203 352 251
Total cereals (excluding rice) 831.9 1,1184.7 1,1174.7 1,250
Butter 245 464 547 82
Skimmed milk powder 419 636 576
Total milk products 1,565.0 2,087.9 2,745.9 2,033
Sugar 3,307 3,312 3,971 792 640.4 685.1 286.2 334

Notes:

* Excluding intra-Community trade.

† It is not possible separately to identify the export refunds on individual cereals or milk products except for butter and skimmed milk powder in 1980 when the figures were 1,164.5 mecu and 310.5 mecu respectively.

‡Figures for 1981 are available for January-February only and include Greece. Figures for 1981 for wheat flour include meals of wheat and for sugar include honey; rye and skimmed milk powder cannot be separately identified.

** Latest estimate in the 1981 draft supplementary and amending budget No. 2.

Source:

EUROSTAT STATISTICS OF FOREIGN TRADE.

COMMISSION OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE EAGGF.

Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the acreage devoted to growing the principle basic foodstuffs and the quantity so produced in the United Kingdom in 1948, 1958, 1968, 1978 and 1980.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

Figures for the main arable crops are shown in the following table:

Wheat Barley Sugar beet Potatoes
1948
Area ('000 acres) 2,279 2,082 410 1,548
Output ('000 tons) 2,361 2,027 4,319 11,798
1958
Area ('000 acres) 2,208 2,755 436 821
Output ('000 tons) 2,711 3,170 5,742 5,556
1968
Area ('000 acres) 2,417 5,933 462 690
Output ('000 tons) 3,414 8,140 7,006 6,763
1978
Area ('000 acres) 3,106 5,802 514 529