§ Mr. BoswellTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he will compensate exporters of agricultural and food products for the extra costs they have incurred as a result of the current year's delays in export refund payments by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonI regret that export refund payments have been subject to particular delays since the new Customs and Community documentation came into effect at the beginning of this year as a result of the intervention board's associated computer problems. I recognise that these delays have meant additional costs for many traders, especially when they have extended beyond the period of two months, which I am advised is reasonable by analogy with the express provisions of Community law relating to monetary compensatory amounts. I have therefore authorised the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce to pay compensation at a varying rate equal to base rate plus one point on export refund claims, including exporter pays MCAs where applicable, paid on or after 1 January 1988 after an interval of more than two months from the day of deposit with Her Majesty's Customs or the board of sufficient supporting documents. The compensation will be paid on the net amount due after appropriate charges on the claim such as MCA levies have been taken into account. Parliamentary approval for payments will be sought in a winter Supplementary Supply Estimate for IBAP's market support vote (class IV, vote 1). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at up to £5 million will be392W met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund. Details of the arrangements will be announced by the intervention board as son as possible, with the first payments under the scheme being expected to be made in the autumn.