HC Deb 19 July 1982 vol 28 cc71-2W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many tonnes of butter have been sold to Arab States by the European Economic Community over the past 12 months; and what price per pound was charged for the butter.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The latest available figures on exports of butter and butter oil to Arab States from the European Community are those for 1981. However, because of the Civil Service dispute these do not include figures from the United Kingdom which are available separately for January-February and September-December 1981. These are as follows:

European Community Exports of Butter and Butteroil to Arab States—1981
metric tones
Country European Community (excluding the United Kingdome United Kingdom (January-February and September December only)
Morocco 14,829
Algeria 45,163
Tunisia 5,250
Libya 8,686
Egypt 26,215 34
Sudan 354 13
Lebanon 4,518
Syria 13,022
Iraq 3,519
Jordan 2,558
Saudi Arabia 9,534 327
Kuwait 3,357
Bahrain 521 9
Qatar 279 10
Arab Emirates 2,336
Oman 666
North Yemen 977
South Yemen 56
141,840 393

Source: European Community—Eurostats.

United Kingdom—Overseas Trade Statistics.

Prices charged are subject to individual traders contracts, details of which are not available. There are no special subsidies to these destinations, although transactions would attract normal rates of export refunds.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will obtain from the European Economic Community details of the special sales of food to nations outside the European Economic Community at subsidised prices below the normal subsidised prices offered under the common agricultural policy over the last annual period for which details are available; and if he will publish a table showing the destination of the food, the amount involved and the price charged for each special sale.

Mr. Buchanan-Smith

The only recent examples of which I am aware of sales meeting my hon. Friend's description were the schemes for special food deliveries to Poland at an average 15 per cent. discount from world market prices agreed between December 1980 and October 1981. The quantities agreed under these schemes, together with the contracts concluded and deliveries completed by 18 January 1982 according to the Commission's information are set out in the following table. I will ask the Commission if it is able to bring this information up to date and will write to my hon. Friend in due course.

EEC supplies of food to Poland
tonnes
Product *Quantities agreed Contracts concluded Deliveries completed
(a) Milk products
Butter 50,000 40,000 32,000
Whole milk powder 3,000 920 920
(b) Meat
Beef 55,000 53,500 51,500
Pigmeat 48,400 43,240 41,290
(c) Sugar 55,000 55,000 55,000
(d) Cereals
Wheat 547,500 422,500 350,000
Barley 477,500 474,500 449,500
Rye 25,000 25,000 25,000
Rice 30,000 25,000 20,000
Pearled barley 10,000 10,000 10,000
(e) Olive oil 3,600 2,600 600
Lemons 20,000 6,000
* Includes modifications made on the request of the Polish authorities.

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