HC Deb 01 November 1983 vol 47 cc339-41W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the total sums paid by the United Kingdom intervention board in subsidies for the export of food to the Soviet Union and to Eastern Europe, respectively; and if he will also publish the comparable figures for each of the years since 1976.

Mr. MacGregor

I. refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 11 July 1983.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the

European Community(*) Exports of the main agricultural products to Third Countries
'000 tonnes
Commodity 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Wheat 1,428 1,917 4,362 7,524 10,631 9,477
Barley 528 3,783 3,111 4,309 5,369 2,581
Wheat flour 2,113 2,244 2,547 3,024 3,409 3,218
Rice 163 338 328 387 391 325
Malt 887 1,116 1,135 1,015 1,216 1,160
Wholemilk powder 331 335 385 531 537 458
Skimmed milk powder 420 418 636 580 501 352
Condensed milk 559 545 556 654 582 601
Butter and butteroil 245 245 464 547 455 375
Beef and veal 86 102 224 527 504 336
Pigmeat 46 52 99 83 171 51
Poultrymeat 216 193 264 337 458 436
Sugar (refined) 2,394 2,978 3,112 3,597 4,635 4,699
Wine 612 682 816 929 1,024 1,102
Footnotes: (*) 1977–80: EC9; 1981–82: EC10 Source: Eurostat.
European Community(*) Exports of the main agricultural products to the Soviet Union
'000 tonnes
Commodity 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982
Wheat 0 .. 5 576 857 1,573
Barley .. 405 215 222 788 6
Wheat flour 0 0 0 330 598 596
Rice 11 110 24 59 .. ..
Malt 31 45 107 125 198 140
Wholemilk powder 8 .. 9 35 47 25
Skimmed milk powder 0 0 0 .. 0 ..
Condensed milk 0 0 .. 0 —— ..
Butter and butteroil 49 21 135 142 .. ..
Beef and veal 3 0 22 97 98 67
Pigmeat 0 .. 5 .. 2 0
Poultrymeat 62 6 77 67 86 46
Sugar (refined) 253 2 225 649 580 896
Wine .. 10 50 135 104 135
Footnotes: (*) 1977–80: EC9; 1981–82: EC10; less than 500 tonnes Source: Eurostat.

latest annual totals of subsidised food exports from the European Community to third countries, together with the comparable annual totals for each product, including wine, in each of the previous five years; and if separate figures are available for exports from the European Community delivered to the Soviet Union.

Mr. MacGregor

Information on exports of the main agricultural commodities from the European Community is shown in the following tables. I remind my hon. Friend that these represent total exports, some of which may not have received refunds.

Mr. Teddy Taylor

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement outlining the scope and nature of the information which his Department is required to provide or chooses to provide to the European Commission on the payment of export rebates, including monetary compensatory amounts to United Kingdom exporters sending food or wine to non-European Community countries.

Mr. MacGregor

Export refunds including monetary compensatory amounts are paid to United Kingdom exporters by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce out of advances provided monthly by the European Commission. When indenting for these advances IBAP is required to supply the following information:

Export refunds

  1. a. EC budget item reference by commodity
  2. b. nature of commodity
  3. c. expenditure in previous month
  4. d. cumulative expenditure in year to date
  5. e. estimated outturn for current month
  6. f. estimate for current month + 1
  7. g. estimate for current month + 2
  8. h. total of estimates for e, f and g.

MCAs

A total for all commodities under (c—h) above.

At the end of the European Community's year, IBAP is required to account for the payments made in that year under the following headings:

Export Refunds including MCAs

  1. a. nature of commodity
  2. b. CCT heading
  3. c. total amount paid in year
  4. d. total tonnage represented by.