§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the tonnage of alcohol produced in the EEC (a) from petrochemical feedstock and (b) from all agricultural sources; and what subsidy is provided in each sector.
§ Mr. MacGregorAlcohol production in the European Communities in 1980 (excluding directly distilled spirit drinks) is estimated by the commission to have been: 4,553,000 hectolitres (360,490 tonnes) of synthetic alcohol, almost exclusively from petrochemical feedstocks; and 8,314,000 hectolitres (658,273 tonnes) of alcohol of agricultural origin. It is not possible to give the figures for subsidy in the form requested.
There is no Community regime for alcohol, but in certain member States special market arrangements operate. Under the Community wine regime there is a number of provisions under which differing amounts of aid are available for the distillation of surplus wine into alcohol.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Industry what quantity of wine would be required to produce one ton of alcohol.
§ Mr. MacGregorTable wines have an alcohol content of about 10 per cent. Thus about 10 tons (or 128.3 hectolitres) of wine would be required to produce one ton of pure alcohol.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Industry what is the total of regional and other grants that have been made available for synthetic alcohol plants in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. MacGregorAs there is only one United Kingdom synthetic alcohol manufacturer, I regret that any information which may be available is commercially confidential.