HC Deb 02 February 1981 vol 998 cc57-8W
Mr. Strang

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of sugar imported under the Lome Convention into the United Kingdom was resold on the world market and United Kingdom home market, respectively, over the past five years.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

Exports of cane sugar are not separately recorded. Sugar imported under the Lome Convention forms an important part of United Kingdom domestic supplies and the quantities refined here are for home consumption. There is a small but thriving export of cane raw sugar and sugar products, mainly brown sugars and syrups, which are premium products for which there is a steady demand in other countries.

Mr. Strang

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much white sugar has been imported into the United Kingdom from other European Economic Community countries between 1975 and 1980; and what percentage that represents of the United Kingdom sugar market.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

For the period requested, the figures are as follows:

Year (October/September) Tonnes As percentage of United Kingdom, Consumption
1975–76 206,471 8.6
1976–77 213,901 8.7
1977–78 232,403 9.5
1978–79 159,049 6.8
1979–80 178,029 7.6

Source: Overseas Trade Accounts.

ii. European Commission.

Mr. Strang

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the cost, over the past five years, of the European Economic Community sugar régime, including export refunds; and how much the United Kingdom pays.

Mr. Peter Walker

The cost to the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund of the sugar regime over the past five years is given below:

million EUA
1976 229
1977 598
1978 878
1979 940
1980 579
Estimated

Source: European Community Commission.

This expenditure is partly offset by levies on sugar producers and by a levy on exports when world prices are above Community prices, as in much of 1980.

The United Kingdom's contribution under the own resources system to the cost of individual regimes is not separately identified.

Mr. Strang

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the level, over the past five years, of African, Caribbean and Pacific imports into the United Kingdom under the Lom6 Convention; and if he expects this level to alter significantly if the Tate and Lyle refinery is closed.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The following table shows the quantities of sugar imported into the United Kingdom under the provisions of the sugar protocol to the Lom6 Convention and associated agreements:

(thousand tonnes white sugar equivalent)
1975–76 1,291
1976–77 1,343
1977–78 1,268
1978–79 1,169
1979–80 1,163

Source: European Community Commission.

Levels of imports from ACP countries into the United Kingdom are a matter for suppliers and refiners. However, given that Tate and Lyle's remaining refining capacity is likely to be about 1.1 million tonnes, I would not expect to see a significant change in recent levels of imports.

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