§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his reply of 20 February, Official Report, column 332, why the price at which sugar was made available to eastern Europe from the EEC fell between 1984 and 1985 by the amount shown; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe statistics given in my right hon. Friend's reply were extracted from Eurostat sources which in turn are collated from statistics provided by member states. The average unit value quoted for sugar exported in 1984 from the European Community to eastern Europe, excluding the USSR, related to exports of about 1,000 tonnes. The possible inclusion of special sugar products in this small quantity could explain the high average unit value. The larger volume of exports in 1985—January-October—includes a substantial proportion of raw sugar and the average unit value was more in line with the average world price.