§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will bring up-to-date the figures on prices and common agricultural policy levies in his reply to a question from the hon. Member for Grimsby on 15 November 1982, Official Report, c. 68–70.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithThe information requested is provided in the following table and relates to 17 January 1983. As there were no monetary compensatory amounts in operation for the United Kingdom on that date, the common levy and the levy for the United Kingdom were equal. The third country offer prices used by the Commission to determine rates of levy applicable on 17 January 1983 are taken as the "world price". For pigmeat, poultrymeat and eggs the world price is taken as the current sluicegate price, less supplementary levies where appropriate. I must emphasise again that these figures do not accurately represent the price at which the United Kingdom or the Community could buy from world markets if more supplies from third countries were sought.
71W
Estimated world prices* Levy† £/tonne £/tonne Beef and veal 1,045 ‡1,200 Sheepmeat 1,391 ║— Pigmeat 786 315 Poultrymeat 673 197 Eggs 250 517
Estimated world prices* Levy† £/tonne £/tonne Butter 1,023 ¶1,354 Skimmed powder 531 507 Common wheat 90 70 Barley 72 74 Maize 74 72 Rice 168 285 Olive oil 770 204 White sugar 138 ●256 Notes: * World prices have been taken as the minimum offer prices of imports underlying the calculation of the variable levies and have been calculated by subtracting the levies in ECUs applicable on 17 January from the appropriate threshold/guide price in ECUs. The beef price is also adjusted for duty. For eggs the "world price" has been taken as the sluicegate price less supplementary levy; for pigmeat and poultrymeat sluicegate prices have been taken. "World prices" have been converted from ECUs at the market rate used for calculating the MCA on 17 January of 1.61735 ECU = £1.
† The rates of levy in force on 17 January 1983. These rates vary for different tariff headings. The rates quoted are: beef and veal—carcase; pigmeat—carcase; poultrymeat—70 per cent, chickens; rice—wholly milled long grain; olive oil—virgin lampante; eggs—including supplementary levy. As there were no United Kingdom MCAs in force on 17 January the United Kingdom levy was equal to the common levy in ECU converted at the representative rate of 1.61641 = £1.
‡ Most imports of beef from third countries are subject to special arrangements allowing entry at reduced levy rates.
≑ Imports of lamb under voluntary restraint agreements with principal suppliers and related agreements are subject to a reduced charge of 10 per cent, ad valorem. Any imports outside these arrangements are subject to levies which cannot exceed the 20 per cent, tariff rate bound in the GATT.
¶ A special, lower rate of levy is applicable to United Kingdom imports of butter from New Zealand.
● In practice United Kingdom imports from third countries are normally covered by the Lomé convention and enter the Community levy-free.