§ Mr. Ashleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the level of subsidy on domestically produced, or tariff on imported, vegetable oils and on vegetable oils high in polyunsaturates.
§ Mr. MacGregorNo subsidies are paid on oils and I assume, therefore, that the right hon. Member's question relates to the subsidies which are paid to oilseed crushers to encourage them to purchase Community produce rape seed and sunflower seed and which cover the gap between Community and world prices for these oilseeds. Only rape seed is grown in the United Kingdom and the rate of subsidy on 15 November was £68.17 per tonne for rape seed with an oil content of 40 per cent.
The tariffs on oilseeds are nil. The general rates of tariff for most vegetable oils for human consumption supplied in bulk are 10 per cent. for crude oil and 15 per cent. for refined oil. Further details may be found in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise "Tariff and Overseas Trade Classification in the United Kingdom", volume II, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Of the main oils of interest in the United Kingdom, corn, groundnut, rape, soya and sunflower are relatively high in polyunsaturate and coconut, palm and palm kernel are relatively low.