HC Deb 27 March 1995 vol 257 cc490-1W
Mr. Nicholas Brown

To 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 this accounts for; and what proportion of the common agricultural policy was allocated to the United Kingdom. [15790]

Mr. Jack

For the years 1973 to 1992, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 9 March 1994,Official Report; column 275. The information in respect of 1993 and 1994 is as follows:

Total CAP expenditure (EAGGF Guarantee) (mecu) As percentage of total EC expenditure Total UK receipts as percentage of total EC CAP expenditure
1993 35,088 55 8.2
1994 32,924 50 8.5

Sources:

1993 annual financial report of the guarantee section of the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund and Commission working doc. VI/72/94–15.12.94

Mr. Nicholas Brown

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the latest figure for(a) the total value of moneys illegally abstracted from the common agricultural policy's export refund and price support schemes and (b) how much the common agricultural policy has lost through the evasion of customs duties and farm levies; and if he will estimate the proportion of defrauded funds that are recouped. [15794]

Mr. Jack

The information is in table 2, page 40, of the Commission report titled "Protection of the Community's Financial Interests: The Fight Against Fraud—1993 Annual Report", which was published on 23 March 1994. A copy was placed in the library.

Mr. Nicholas Brown

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the proportion of common agricultural policy spending that does not go to farmers but is(a) paid to middlemen who store unwanted surplus food and (b) is used to subsidise this surplus for export onto world markets. [15795]

Mr. Jack

Information on EC expenditure up to 1993 on intervention storage and on export refunds in contained in annexe 9 and annexe 5, respectively, of the annual financial reports of the guarantee section of the European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund. These have been deposited in the Library of the House of Commons. For 1994, intervention storage accounted for 3.4 per cent. of total expenditure, and export refunds for 24.8 per cent. The corresponding figures for 1995, based on the draft supplementary and amending budget, are 3.5 per cent. and 19.6 per cent. respectively.