§ Mr. Marlowasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the cost to the taxpayer of intervention and storage not yet reimbursed by the European Economic Community for each of the last three calendar years.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant to his reply, 14 April 1986, c. 270]: The European Agricultural Guarantee and Guidance Fund contributes one month in arrears at standard rate towards the interest costs of holding intervention stocks and the incidental costs such as transport, handling and storage, all of which are borne initially by member states.
The net cost of operations remaining with the United Kingdom in the years ending 31 December 1982 and 30 November 1983 and 1984 (provisionally) as shown in the Intervention Board's intervention buying accounts for those years, is £7.2 million, £20.8 million and £33 million respectively.