§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what was the total budget of the common agricultural policy in each year since 1973; what proportion of the EC's total budget it accounted for; and what proportion of the common agricultural policy was allocated to the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. JackThe information is as follows:
Total CAP expenditure (EAGGF guarantee) As percentage of total EC expenditure Total UK receipts as percentage of total EC CAP expenditure 1973 13,660 91 4.15 1974 13,107 69 8.61 1975 14,727 77 17.23 1976 15,570 76 8.41 1977 16,662 75 6.27 1978 28,673 72 13.29 1979 210,441 73 8.89 1980 311,315 69 7.82 1981 310,980 62 9.87 1982 312,406 61 10.37 1983 315,812 65 10.73 1984 318,346 67 11.58 1985 319,744 70 9.62 1986 322,137 65 8.98 1987 322,968 65 7.61 1988 327,687 67 7.20 1989 325,873 63 7.41 1990 327,036 62 7.32 1991 331,939 59 7.49 1992 332,109 55 7.63 Sources: Annual Financial Reports of the Guarantee Section of the EAGGF.
Annual Reports of the European Court of Auditors.
1Million units of account.
2Million European units of account.
3Million European currency units.
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will estimate the cost to the United Kingdom of every acre farmed in the European Community.
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the budget forecast for the common agricultural policy in 1994; and what proportion of this fund will be allocated to the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. JackThe 1994 CAP budget has been set at 36,465 mecu—£27,566 million. It is set in relation to forecast expenditure throughout the Community, and not on the basis of allocations to individual member states. The level of United Kingdom CAP receipts will depend on a variety of factors, such as production levels, quantities exported, and purchases in and sales out of intervention storage. It is forecast at £2,728 million for the 1994–95 financial year.
§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will raise at the next meeting of the Council of Agriculture Ministers the cost to member states of the report commissioned by the EC into the future of the common agricultural policy; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. JackThis study, which has yet to be completed or its findings published, is a matter for the Commission, not the Council of Ministers. The next meeting of the Council of Agricultural Ministers will however be discussing the Commission's proposals for CAP prices for 1994–95 during which my right hon. Friend will be paying close attention to the overall cost of the CAP.
§ Mr. TylerTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps she has taken to obtain a copy of that analysis of the future economic viability of the common agricultural policy by EU economists; if she will place a copy in the Library; and if she will request the European Commission at the next Council of Ministers meeting to publish the report.
§ Mr. Jack[holding answer 8 March 1994]: I understand this is an internal European Commission study on which work is not yet fully complete. Eventual publication is a matter for the Commission. If the Commission does decide to make this study available then my right hon. Friend the Minister will seek to obtain a copy for the House Library.