§ 36. Sir William van Straubenzeeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether there has been any increase in farm support costs within the European Economic Community in the past year.
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§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe draft second rectifying budget, recently approved by the Council, provides for expenditure from the guarantee section of the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund totalling 11,612 million ECU in 1981. About £7,300 million at 1.59 ECU = £1. Expenditure in 1980 was 11,315 million ECU—some £6,850 million at 1.6514 ECU =£1 This represents an increase of only 2.6 per cent. in terms of ECU. The saving compared with the original estimate for 1981 is 1,285 million ECU—about £810 million.