§ Dr. Cunninghamasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications for grant-aid for field drainage under the farm capital grant schemes were made in England and Wales; what was the total grant-aid paid towards such schemes; and what was the total expenditure by farmers on such schemes, for each of the financial years since 1979–80.
§ Mrs. FennerThe information rquested is given for the calendar years 1979–83 in the following table. I regret it could be provided in financial years only at disproportionate cost.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the tonnage and cost of new butter manufactured in Britain since January 1985 which has been bought into intervention while the EEC reduced price butter scheme has been in operation.
§ Mr. MacGregorIn January and February this year 33,055 tonnes of butter were offered into intervention in the United Kingdom. Not all of this will necessarily be accepted, but if all were accepted it would cost £63.8 million.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the total cost involved in making butter available in the United Kingdom under the EEC reduced price butter scheme.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe price reduction on butter made available in the United Kingdom under the present special scheme is worth about £36 million.
§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the minimum and maximum acceptable profit margins for butter under the reduced price butter scheme to the final point of retail sale; and what steps have been taken to ensure excessive profits have not been made.
§ Mr. MacGregorNo minimum and maximum profit margins have been fixed for butter sold under the EC special sale scheme. However, the initial purchaser of this butter is required as a condition of his contract with the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce to ensure that the reduction in selling price provided for in the EC 5W Commission Regulation authorising the sale will be passed on for the benefit of the final consumer. This obligation must also be incorporated in the terms of sale to subsequent purchasers. Arrangements have been made for sample checks to be made to ensure compliance with these conditions. In addition a maximum retail price has been set.