§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish a table showing the percentage by which intervention prices available to United Kingdom fanners exceeded world trade prices at the most recent available date for wheat, barley, sugar, frozen beef, butter and skimmed milk powder, respectively.
§ Mr. MacGregorAs there is no single generally accepted definition of the world trade price the following table provides the information requested based on an estimate of the lowest offer price at Community ports as used in the calculation of the variable import levies applicable on 10 January 1984. This is the simplest figure to use, but it is not necessarily a reliable guide to the prices which would in practice have to be paid on the world market, especially if substantial increased quantities were to be bought above current levels.
Estimate of percentage by which United Kingdom intervention price exceeds lowest offer price Per cent. Wheat *13 Barley 13 Sugar (white) †136 Frozen beef ‡n/a Butter 107 Skimmed milk powder 93 * Based on intervention price for feed quality wheat. † Intervention price including storage levy but before deducting producer levy. ‡ There is no intervention buying for frozen beef. Most imports of beef enter the Community on special terms under concessionary arrangements.