§ 41. Mr. Knoxasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the working of the European Economic Community sheepmeat agreement at the end of its first year of operation.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe sheepmeat regime has benefited producers in this country by increasing their guaranteed returns to a level which, for the 1981–82 marketing year, is 26 per cent. above the previous national guaranteed level. Breeders benefit from the annual premium on ewes and the first payments, amounting to just over £2 a ewe, were made recently. Consumers have benefited from the effect: on prices of using deficiency payments rather than intervention and from access to continued supplies of New Zealand frozen lamb at a reduced tariff. Our export trade to the Continent had problems over clawback, but I have been able to negotiate the exemption of third country exports and hope to secure further improvements at the earliest opportunity. Exports have picked up recently.