European Community (Commodity Sale)

HC Deb 21 June 1982 vol 26 cc31-2W

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the difference between the price of each of the commodities sold by the European Economic Community to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and other countries outside the Common Market and the prices of the same commodities within the Community; and if he will estimate the effect on the Cost of living of the United Kingdom and other member States if the two sets of prices were the same, or more closely equivalent.

Mr. Peter Walker

As my right hon. Friend explained in his reply of 10 February to my hon. Friend, it is not possible to estimate reliably the sale price of European Community exports of agricultural products to the USSR and other third countries.—[Vol. 17, c. 405–6.] For this and other reasons, no estimate can be made of the effect on the cost of living of the United Kingdom and other member States of a closer alignment of prices.