HC Deb 15 December 1982 vol 34 cc146-7W
Mr. Deakins

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, for each product subject to the common agricultural policy, what quantities have been sold at subsidised prices within the European Economic Community in the latest year for which the figures are available; what was the cost in £ sterling of such subsidies; and what were the comparable figures in each of the three previous years.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

Information on subsidised sales of butter and skimmed milk and of milk under the school milk scheme and on consumption aid for olive oil is as follows. Beef is released from intervention stocks at discounted prices for use by social institutions and by processors but information is not readily available on the quantities or costs involved.

Subsidised sales of butter and skimmed milk (expressed as skimmed milk powder equivalent).
Butter (thousand tonnes) Skimmed milk (thousand tonnes) Total cost (£ million)
1978 725.5 2,101.1 715.4
1979 681.7 2,195 816.4
1980 543 1,667.7 762.4
1981 532.8 1,661 667.7

Milk subsidised under the school milk scheme
School years Milk and yoghurt (thousand tonnes) Cheese (thousand tonnes) Total cost (£ million) (Calendar years)
1977–78 171.9 0.008 £12.4 (1978)
1978–79 275.3 6.9 £29.3 (1979)
1979–80 287.0 5.9 £41.5 (1980)
1980–81 255.2 3.4 £34.6 (1981)

Consumption aid for olive oil
olive oil (thousand tonnes) Cost (£ million)
1978–79 124.3 20.9
1979–80 193.3 38.8
1980–81 234.2 58.5

Note: Consumption aid for olive oil was introduced from 1 April 1979.

Source: Commission of the European Communities.