§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will outline the implications for the disposal of food surpluses of the new national flexibility referred to by the Minister of State in the House on 17 December; if this involves any transfer of responsibilities for funding the disposal of surpluses from the European Community to member states; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerI did not make any reference to national flexibility on the disposal of food surpluses on 17 December. The outcome of the Council on this point was explained in my statement,Official Report, column 1211. The question of financial responsibility was dealt with in my reply to my hon. Friend of 19 December 1986 at column 832.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the cost of disposal of surpluses within the European Economic Community in the most recent annual period for which figures are available.
44Wexpenditure where the provision in the 1987 draft budget is likely to be inadequate. The figure of £1,200 million quoted by my hon. Friend is the estimated total saving resulting from the milk package over three years.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the current levels of import levy on the food products covered by the common agricultural policy; and what were the comparable levels around the same date in each of the previous five years.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe information requested is set out in the table for the main commodities. The levies shown have been adjusted for the United Kingdom monetary compensatory amounts.
§ Mr. GummerCommunity expenditure in 1985 on the disposal of products in structural surplus—cereals, sugar, wine, beef and milk products—was 8939 mecu.