§ Mr. Alexanderasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on what basis his Department calculates annually the effect on United Kingdom food prices of the European Community's farm price review;
(2) what have been his Department's estimates at the time of each European Community farm price review of the effect on United Kingdom food prices; and what was the actual effect on United Kingdom food prices, in each year since 1973.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithMy Department estimates the effect of support price changes upon first hand market prices of individual basic foodstuffs, bearing in mind that market conditions and the nature of support arrangements may mean that variations in support prices have only limited effects on first hand prices of a number of products. The overall effect on food prices is then126W estimated according to the importance of each product in the total supply of foodstuffs for consumption. There is no series of such estimates, and it is not possible Lo distinguish the actual effect of successive settlements from the effects of other factors affecting food prices such as the costs of processing, distribution and retailing.
§ Mr. Strangasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he now expects agreement on agricultural prices for 1982–83 in the European Community.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for Devon, West (Mr. Mills.)—[Vol. 23, c.93–94.]