§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the percentage increase or decrease in common agricultural policy intervention prices and world food prices over the past five years.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe information requested is provided in the attached table. The estimated "world" prices have been taken as the minimum offer price as used by the Commission in the calculation of variable levies. These do not accurately represent the prices at which the United Kingdom or the Community could buy from the world market if more supplies from third countries were sought.
Increases in CAP Support Prices and Estimated "World" Food Prices, Between April 1978 and April 1983* CAP support prices† per cent. Estimated world prices‡ per cent. Beef and Veal 32 20 Pigmeat 23 50 Butter 25 137 Common Wheat 23 59 Barley 25 47 Sugar 33 67 Notes: * Prices applicable on 25 April 1978 and 25 April 1983 expressed in European Currency Units. † Beef and Veal—intervention price converted to carcase equivalent using 54.4 per cent. killing-out co-efficient. Pigmeat—lowest intervention price (on 25 April 1978 at 85 per cent. of basic price; on 25 April 1983 at 78 per cent. of basic price). Butter—intervention price for 82 per cent. butter. Common Wheat—reference price for wheat of minimum breadmaking quality. Barley—intervention price. Sugar—white sugar intervention price including storage levy. ‡ "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 common levy from the appropriate threshold/guide price. The beef price had also been adjusted for duty and in the case of pigmeat the "world price" has been taken as the sluicegate price less supplementary levy.