§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing changes since 1972 in the relationship between the unit of account used for agricultural purposes and the market rate of the European currency unit and the changes in the relationship of (i) sterling and (ii) the deutschmark to the agricultural unit of account, together with an explanation as to what the effect would be on agricultural prices in the United Kingdom in terms of sterling of (iii) a fall in the value of the pound against the market rate for the European currency unit and (iv) of an increase in the value of the deutschmark against the market value of the European currency unit.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe information requested on the past relationship between the European currency unit—which would need to be valued in terms of the market rates for its constituent currencies — and the relevant agricultural accounting unit at the time—which varies during the period quoted—is not readily available, and could be produced only at disproportionate cost. A Commission document is available giving the value of certain currencies, including sterling and the deutschmark,582W against the unit of account—or since 9 April 1979 the European currency unit — between March 1973 and December 1981. I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House. Information for 1972 is not readily available. As I explained to the hon. Member on 17 December 1984 and 31 January 1985, changes in the value of the deutschmark or of sterling have no effect on CAP support prices in the United Kingdom.