§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current United Kingdom consumption at an annual rate of each of the staple foodstuffs covered by the common agricultural policy, including olive oil, and so on; and what in each case is the difference between the United Kingdom price and the common agricultural policy price in terms of the £ sterling at specified rates of exchange.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerDetails of United Kingdom consumption of staple foodstuffs in 1980 were given in a reply to the hon. Member on 31 July 1981. Olive oil did not figure in that reply but consumption was 3,000 tonnes in 1980. Figures for 1981 are not yet available. Estimates of consumption of foodstuffs are published regularly in the Food Facts Series, Food Supplies Moving into Consumption, copies of which are in the Library of the House.
United Kingdom support prices are normally converted from common agricultural policy support prices expressed in ECUs at the representative rate which is 1.61641 ECU per £ sterling, some 9 per cent, below the present market rate. The common intervention price for sugar is however supplemented by a regional premium in the United Kingdom of £7.48 (12.1 ECU) per tonne and reference prices for sheepmeat at present vary between member States.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the basic foodstuffs for which there was a guaranteed price before the United Kingdom entered the Common Market, the average of such prices in the five years before 1972 in terms of the 1981 level of prices generally and the corresponding EEC price at 1981 levels in terms of the £ sterling.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI regret that the information is not readily available in the form requested. Information on314W United Kingdom guarantee prices for the five years 1967–68 to 1971–72 is, however, given in table 19 of the Appendix to the Annual Review and Determination of Guarantees 1972 White Paper (Cmnd. 4928). Community support prices for the marketing years 1980–81 and 1981–82 are set out in table 24 of the Agricultural Situation in the Community, 1981 report, published by the Commission of the European Communities.