Potato Marketing Board

HC Deb 02 May 1989 vol 152 cc81-2W

Mr. John Marshall

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many representations have been received to date from the potato processing industry in favour of(a) the retention and (b) the abolition of the Potato Marketing Board.

Tonnes
	Butter	Beef	Wine	Cheese
Year ending	Held in intervention	Privately owned and stored against EC aided contracts	Held in intervention	Privately owned and stored against EC aided contracts
1979	109	1—	nil	1—	nil	nil
1980	269	1—	nil	1—	nil	nil
1981	nil	1—	nil	1—	nil	nil
1982	110	1—	nil	1—	nil	nil
1983	2,422	nil	nil	nil	nil	nil
1984	3,218	233	66.0	nil	nil	nil
1985	4,999	nil	122.0	nil	nil	nil
1986	7,898	110	46.0	nil	nil	nil
1987	3,412	44	15.0	nil	nil	nil
1988	1,757	nil	0.5	nil	nil	nil
1 Details of privately owned stocks of butter held prior to 1983 are no longer available.

Current valuation figures for intervention butter and beef are £1,422.46/tonne and £1,322.71/tonne respectively.

Mr. Donald Thompson

Six representations from the processing industry had been received by 31 December 1988, the deadline set in the Government's consultation paper on future potato market policy. All favoured a free market.