§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) whether he will 341W publish in the Official Report a table showing the amount spent on storage of agricultural commodities under the European Economic Community budget compared with the amount spent in the United States of America under its Government schemes;
(2) whether he will set out in the Official Report the main items of expenditure under the guarantee section of the European agricultural guarantee and guidance fund compared with expenditure for similar purposes by the Commodity Credit Corporation of the United States of America referred to in paragraph 16(ii) of the 1983 report of the agricultural situation in the Community;
(3) whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the amount spent by the European Economic Community in 1983 on export restitutions and other subsidies to exports compared with the total spent by the United States of America; and if he will give an estimate of the average amount per tonne in the case of the principal commodities.
§ Mr. JoplingExpenditure in the EAGGF guarantee section during 1983 can be summarised as follows:
Mecu £ million Export refunds (including MCA subsidies) 5,559 3,270 Internal disposal subsidies 2,984 1,760 Storage intervention (including withdrawals by producer groups) 3,375 1,990 Production subsidies 4,062 239 Others (including milk co-responsibility levy -60 -40 Total 15,920 9,370 I understand that expenditure in the United States of America by the Commodity Credit Corporation in the year ended 30 September 1983 was as follows:
Net loan outlays (US dollars) Commodity loans 8,438m Storage facility -197m Direct export credit 57m Other outlays Direct payments 3,600m Net purchases 2,541m Producer storage payments 964m Net interest 3,525m Processing, storage and transportation 665m Other -742m Total net outlays 18851m In addition $9.4 billion was spent on the payment-in-kind programme.
The average export refunds paid by the EC on principal commodities in 1983 are as follows. These are unweighted averages of the daily rates for fixed rate refunds or, for wheat and barley, the rates accepted under the tendering procedure.
342W
(ecus per tonne) Common wheat 50 Barley 62 Sugar (white) 287 Butter 1,486 Skimmed milk powder 550 Beef (carcases) 1,367 I understand that assistance to exporters in the USA is provided primarily through export credits rather than direct payments.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the effect of agricultural protection on the retail price of food, including butter, Cheddar cheese, beef, lamb, eggs, flour and sugar in the United Kingdom and the United States of America respectively.
§ Mr. MacGregorSuch comparisons are not available. They could be devised only on the basis of numerous assumptions, would be highly speculative and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food in what way United States maize prices are artifically low, as stated in paragraph 33 of the 1983 report on the agricultural situation in the community; and if he will publish a table in the Official Report showing what effect this has on the price of livestock products and how the difference in the price of input maize compares with the export restitution payable in the EEC.
§ Mr. MacGregorI am not convinced that the nature of United States support arrangements for maize is such as to justify the conclusion that market prices are artifically low.