§ Sir Anthony Meyerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the net benefit to the United Kingdom from the operation of (a) the Community sheepmeat regime and (b) the beef suckler premium since these schemes came into operation.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe only European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund expenditure so far under the sheepmeat regime has been on variable premium payments in the United Kingdom; these amount to about £45 million, which, after allowing for our budgetary contribution, will give a net benefit of about £36 million.
Expenditure on the suckler cow premium scheme up to the end of 1980 is estimated by the Commission at about £25 million, of which about £11 million had been spent in the United Kingdom. These figures represent claims processed by the end of the year and it would be misleading to show a net benefit on the figures so far available.