HC Deb 13 March 1985 vol 75 cc137-8W
Mr. Austin Mitchell

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the differences between the support price and the market price for sheepmeat in 1983–84, 1984–85 to date and in 1969.

Mr. MacGregor

The following table gives the information requested. However, the mechanisms of the fat sheep guarantee scheme which applied in 1969 differed from those of the Community sheepmeat regime which replaced it in 1980.

1969–70 1983–84 1984–85
Fat Sheep Guarantee Scheme
Guaranteed price £/100kg 40.04
Community Sheepmeat Regime
Basic price £/100kg 257.40 264.81
Average guide price £/100kg 227.30 225.09
Market Price
Annual Average Market Price p/kg 38.94 147.90 *165.23

Hectares
1955 1965 1970 1979 1984
Vegetables grown in the open 177,600 142,100 198,400 193,600 139,600
Orchard fruit 102,800 78,400 63,200 46,300 37,100
Small fruit 16,600 15,000 13,000 13,800 12,900
Hardy nursery stock, bulbs and flowers 10,900 13,300 14,300 11,600 11,400
Area under glass or plastic covered structures 1,800 2,000 1,800 2,100 2,100

for by variable premiums, either in isolation or in combination with other grants and subsidies. The percentage figures given in the reply of 19 December 1984 at column 200 therefore do not include variable premium payments.