§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for the principal foodstuffs subject to the common agricultural policy (a) the cost of imports from the European Economic Community Six in the latest available month as a percentage of the price in 1970 and (b) the corresponding increase in cost of imports from countries which are not now members of the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe following table provides the information requested. These data are contained in the overseas trade statistics and are valued at prices including charges for insurance and freight and other costs but excluding levies and duties payable in the United Kingdom. The proportions reflect general inflationary trends as well as any changes in the qualities of the products. They do not provide a reliable measure of the changes in prices at which these imports move on to the United Kingdom market.
The average unit value of United Kingdom imports in January 1981 as a proportion of January 1970 Imports from: (a) Original Six Members of the EC
(b) Third Countries*
Wheat 4.6 3.8 Maize 4.5 3.1 Barley 11.2 — Oats 2.6 3.4 Sugar 7.2 5.0 Butter 6.3 4.0 Cheese 4.9 5.4 Pork — 2.3 Bacon and Ham 3.1 2.7 Beef and Veal 5.1 4.4 Mutton and Lamb — 3.5 Poultry †2.1 †2.5 Eggs †2.4 †2.7 Lard 2.2 2.5 Source: United Kingdom Overseas Trade Statistics. Notes: * Excludes imports from all members of the European Economic Community as at January, 1981. † Proportional increases based on the average for the year 1970. "—" denotes that there were no imports in either January, 1970 or January, 1981.