§ Mr. Austin Mitchellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each of the agricultural products regulated under the common agricultural policy the amount of levy payable in the United Kingdom on importation from third countries, the 90W amount of customs duty, the intervention or threshold price, the target price and the United Kingdom market price and the world price.
§ Mr. MacGregor[pursuant to his reply, 21 February 1985, c. 583]:Detailed information about intervention, threshold and target prices was set out in table 2 of my right hon. Friend's reply of 4 December 1984 at column 105. Full information about customs duties is contained in the United Kingdom "Tariff and Overseas Trade Classification," a copy of which is in the Library of the House. The remainder of the information requested is set out for the main products in tables 1 and 2. The "world prices" shown in table 1 are generally the lowest offer prices at the Community frontier underlying the commission's calculaton of the variable import levies. I remind the hon. Member that these are the lowest prices recorded and it is highly likely that on average higher prices would have to be paid if larger quantities were to be purchased on world markets. The "world prices" shown do not necessarily relate to the same quality or presentation of product for which United Kingdom market prices are set out in table 2.
91W
Table 1 Levy applicable in the United Kingdom and Notional "World" price* on 13 February 1985 for the main traded agricultural commodities Levy† applicable in United Kingdom Notional "world" price (£/tonne) (£/tonne) Common wheat 43 128 Barley 45 111 Maize 34 122 Rice 334 174 Sugar ‡282 132 Olive oil 384 894 Butter ≑1,326 911 Skimmed milk powder 638 528 Beef and veal ¶1,426 1,005 Pigmeat 238 1,000 Sheepmeat •— 1,830 Poultrymeat 132 776 Eggs 208 608 * "World" prices have been calculated by subtracting the levy applicable on 13 February from the threshold/guide price. The beef price is also adjusted for duty. In the case of pigmeat, poultrymeat and eggs, the "world" price has been taken as the sluicegate price, less supplementary levy where appropriate. The resulting estimate has been converted from ECU/t at the appropriate market rate of exchange £0.651359 =1 ECU; † The rates of levy vary for different tariff headings. The rates quoted are: beef and veal—carcase; pigmeat—carcase; poultrymeat—70 per cent. chickens; rice — wholly milled long grain; olive oil — virgin lampante; eggs — in shell including supplementary levy. Levies are shown after deduction of the monetary compensatory amount where applicable; ‡ In practice the United Kingdom's imports from third countries are normally covered by the Lomé convention and enter the Community levy-free; ≑ A special lower rate of levy is applicable to imports of butter from New Zealand; ¶ Most imports of beef from third countries are subject to special arrangements allowing entry at reduced levy rates; • Imports of lamb under voluntary restraint arrangements with principal suppliers and related agreements are subject to a reduced charge of 10 per cent. ad valorem. Any imports outside these arrangements are subject to levies which cannot exceed the 20 per cent. tariff bound in the GATT.
Table 2 Selected average market/wholsale prices United Kingdom Week ending 9 February 1985 £/tonne Common wheat (grower to merchant price England and Wales) 112 Barley (grower to merchant price England and Wales) 112 Maize (USA export Bristol) 159 Rice (US long grain—London) 570 Sugar (refined bulk granulated) 419 Olive oil (EC origin, cif UK) 1,847 Butter (English, wholesale, London) 2,270 Skimmed milk powder (list price) 1,050 Fat cattle, certified UK (liveweight) 947 Fat sheep, certified, GB (estimated dressed carcase weight) 1,687 Fat pigs (all pigs, deadweight) 1,032 Poultrymeat (broilers, liveweight) 557 Eggs (size 3, packer to producer price) 579 Note:
A wide range of price quotations exists for individual commodities depending on quality, presentation, stage of marketing and so on. Those shown are intended to be illustrative of prices paid by wholesalers or received by producers.