HL Deb 20 February 1991 vol 526 c28WA
Lord Stoddart of Swindon

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Why the EC sold cheese to Japan at a subsidy of 48p per pound; and what prior consultations took place with New Zealand, the traditional supplier of cheese to Japan.

Baroness Trumpington

Exports of cheese from the EC attract an export refund in order to bridge the gap between EC and world market prices. The current rate of refund for cheddar cheese to Japan, 48p per pound, has remained unchanged throughout 1990 and 1991. It is not known whether the EC Commission consulted New Zealand before this rate was set though this would not be usual. World trade in dairy products is regularly discussed in meetings of the GATT international dairy arrangement at which both the EC and New Zealand are represented.