§ 24. Mr. Marlowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the value of net imports of food and agricultural commodities from other European Community countries over the last year; and by how much this is in excess of the value of the same portion of net imports had they been charged at the world market prices ruling at the time.
§ Mr. JoplingThe value of United Kingdom imports of food and feeding stuffs from the Europan Community, less exports to the Community, was £2,002 million in 1982. It is impossible to be sure what this trade might have cost had it taken place at so-called "world" prices. Prices on world markets fluctuate markedly and their levels, in the 593W absence of the common agricultural policy and Community preference, can therefore only be speculated upon. Based on the current levels of export refunds the difference in cost would almost certainly have been less than one tenth of the recent net value.