§ 18. Mr. Robert Atkinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on the scheme to give free European Community food to the needy.
§ Mr. GummerI refer my hon. Friend to the reply given earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Dr. Twinn).
§ 24. Mr. Dixonasked the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take steps to ensure that United Kingdom charities do not lose financially as a result of the EEC food aid scheme.
600Wconsumer of (a) a pint of milk, (b) a 21b loaf of bread and (c) a pint of beer in 1960, 1970, 1980 and 1986; and if he will also show the percentage increase between 1980 and 1986 in each case.
§ Mr. Donald Thompson[pursuant to his reply, 13 March 1987 c. 339]: The readily available information is set out in the table. An index of prices is given for beer because national average prices are not calculated for this item.
§ Mr. JoplingThe Government made clear to the charitable organisations concerned from the outset of the scheme that the Community arrangements would not provide for financial support to charities for distribution of the foodstuffs from their own distribution points. I am not prepared to make further provisions from national funds.
§ 42. Mr. Conwayasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the progress made by charities in distributing free food to the needy.
§ 59. Mr. Baldryasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest amounts of food products authorised for release under the European Economic Community food aid scheme.
§ 62. Mr. Patrick Thompsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will report on the progress made by charities in distributing free food from the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. JoplingI refer my hon. Friends to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, South (Mr. Spencer).
§ 70. Mr. Litherlandasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest amounts of beef distributed in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) other European Economic Community member states under the European Economic Community food aid scheme.
§ Mr. JoplingNo fully comparable date are readily available, but the following tonnages of releases in individual member states were reported to the Beef Management Committee by the Commission on 3 March.
601W
Number Belgium 49 Denmark 5 Germany 182 Greece 61 Spain Nil France 1,501
Number Ireland 662 Italy 87 Netherlands 10 United Kingdom 318 The most recent figure for authorised releases in the United Kingdom is 962 tonnes, but I do not have the more up-to-date figures for other member states.
§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will list those organisations in Birmingham, by each parliamentary constituency, responsible for the distribution of surplus European Economic Community butter, cheese and beef; and on what dates distribution of each commodity began in each constituency.
§ Mr. GummerI shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Cohenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on the distribution of free EEC butter to the needy in Waltham Forest; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Gummer[pursuant to his reply, 16 March 1987, c. 421]: As I explained in my reply earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Edmonton (Dr. Twinn), a large number of letters have been received. I have no breakdown of these by particular geographical area: the cost of preparing such a breakdown would be disproportionate.