HC Deb 06 February 1986 vol 91 cc256-7W
24. Mr. Torney

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest amounts of surplus United Kingdom cereals placed into intervention; what is the cash value; and what is the cost of storage of these intervention stocks.

48. Mr. Nicholas Brown

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the current value of cereals held in intervention in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Gummer

There are 6 million tonnes of grain in intervention stocks in the United Kingdom, valued at £715.4 million. The average cost of taking grain into store and storing it for one year is about £13 per tonne.

28. Mr. Clay

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total, by volume and value, of grain currently held in intervention in the United Kingdom; and how this compares with 1985.

Mr. Gummer

There were 6.2 million tonnes of grain in intervention stores in the United Kingdom at the beginning of January, valued at £738.4 million. The stock at the beginning of January 1985 was 3.3 million tonnes, valued at £401.2 million.

53. Mr. Fisher

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much grain was taken into intervention in the United Kingdom during 1985.

Mr. Gummer

Four million tonnes of grain was sold into intervention in the United Kingdom during 1985.

59. Mr. Haynes

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total value of agricultural produce currently held in intervention in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Gummer

The value of United Kingdom agricultural produce held in intervention on 31 December 1985 was £1,406 million, calculated on the basis of the buying—in prices applicable at that date.

Mr. Gordon Brown

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the 1985 cereal crop was taken into intervention; and how this compares with the average taken in over the last five years.

Mr. Foulkes

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what percentage of the United Kingdom's 1985 grain harvest was taken into intervention.

Mr. Gummer

About 10 per cent. of estimated United Kingdom cereals production in 1985 has been sold into intervention in the current marketing year to date. Sales into intervention over the previous five marketing years averaged 7 per cent. of total production.