§ Mr. Andrew Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the cost to the European Community of subsidising exports of sugar in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe total cost of export refunds on Community sugar was as follows:
£ million 1982 415.0 1983 444.7 1984 694.9 1985 795.5 1986 802.3 This cost was met partly by production levies charged on Community sugar.
§ Mr. Andrew Smithasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the total cost to the European Community of the sugar regime, and the amounts received from levies on sugar beet farmers, in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe information requested is as follows. Levy revenue is raised both from production levies paid by sugar manufacturers, who in turn may pass up to 60 per cent. of the cost on to beet growers, and storage levies charged on first-hand sales of Community quota sugar in order to meet the cost of storing Community sugar.
Year Gross expenditure Total levy revenue £ million £ million 1982 692.7 393.7 1983 772.1 556.1 1984 952.7 687.0 1985 1,061.1 621.8 1986 1,117.9 1 1 Not available.