§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish figures showing for each year since 1960 (a) the landed price of raw sugar in the United Kingdom, (b) the agreed price for beet sugar and (c) the wholesale price of sugar, at current and at 1981 prices.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith(a) This information is not readily available.
(b) Before the United Kingdom's accession to the European Community, there was no market support price for beet sugar. Beet sugar had to sell competitively with sugar refined from cane sugar which had been made available to refiners at the world price. The Sugar Board was then responsible for meeting any deficit on the operations of the British Sugar Corporation resulting from the corporation's obligation to purchase beet at the guaranteed price determined by the Government. Further information can be obtained from the Sugar Board's annual reports which are available in the Library of the House. The market support prices for white sugar since accession to the Community are as follows:
Marketing Years £ per tonne* (nominal) £ per tonne at 1981 prices† 1973–74 91.43 266.56 1974–75 100.95—137.04 244.43—331.82 1975–76 160.31—179.14 323.86—361.90 1976–77 194.46 338.19 1977–78 208.84 324.79 1978–79 231.29—243.47 324.39—341.47 1979–80 258.52—275.15 312.98—333.11 1980–81 293.06 309.46 Notes: * 1973–74 to 1976–77: United Kingdom intervention price for white sugar which included storage levy. From 1977–78 effective market support price for white sugar, ie the United Kingdom intervention price plus storage levy. Prices converted at green rates. †Nominal figures deflated by general index of retail prices. (c) Prices before 1970 are not readily available Subsequent prices are as follows:
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Calendar Years £ per tonne* (nominal) £ per tonne at 1981 prices† 1970 58.59 236.25 1971 64.29 237.23 1972 66.82 229.62 1973 71.50 225.55 1974 103.59 281.49 1975 226.25 495.08 1976 190.04 357.22 1977 233.30 378.12 1978 253.91 380.10 1979 288.48 381.08 1980 329.96 369.08 1981 355.63 355.63 Notes: * Average ex-refinery wholesale list prices for sugar 1970–1974 in 1 cwt. sacks, from 1975 in 50 kg. sacks. Various discounts may be paid depending on the circumstances of the sale. † Nominal prices deflated by general index of retail prices.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food further to his written reply dated 25 February, Official Report, column 468, concerning prices for cane and beet sugar, whether he will publish in the Official Report information showing (a) the prices paid under (iv) of his reply in terms of the relevant price for sugar refined from beet, (b) the cif price of sugar imported under the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement as itemised under (i) of his reply, (c) the sterling equivalent at current and 1980 prices of the ecu prices under the Lomé agreement as set out in (ii) of his reply, (d) the deduction which should be made for freight and insurance at the current time for sugar imported from each of the principal Lomé suppliers and (e) the margin required to convert raw cane sugar delivered in bulk cif port to ex-refinery sugar.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith(a) The prices for years before the United Kingdom's accession to the European Community are not available. For subsequent years I assume that the relevant prices are the market support prices for white sugar set out in my reply to a separate question from the hon. Member.
(b) No records have been kept of the costs of freight and insurance from the different supplying countries, which were in any case subject to continual fluctuation.
(c) My reply to the hon. Member's earlier question explained why these conversions would be inappropriate.
(d) My Department does not monitor freight rates for sugar. However, the Caribbean-United Kingdom freight and insurance element currently included in the spot price for raw sugar on the London terminal sugar market—London daily price—is £14 per tonne.
(e) The margin needed to convert raw cane sugar to white sugar ex-refinery is a matter for commercial negotiation. So far as the United Kingdom is concerned, the framework for such negotiations is set by the difference between the guaranteed price for raw sugar supplied under the Lomé Convention and the effective market support price for white sugar in the United Kingdom. Converted at the rate for the "green pound", this difference is currently £79 per tonne.