§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food at what price British wholesalers buy butter per 250g pack; at what price the European Community sells butter per 250g pack on the world market; what are the levels of European Community production and consumption of butter; what is the level of common agricultural policy expenditure on butter subsidies; and what is the annual cost to the British Exchequer of European Community intervention in the butter market. [16134]
§ Mr. JackThe first-hand delivered price of butter in the United Kingdom is between 68p to 82.5p per 250g pack. The price of butter on the world market fluctuates and is currently in a range $2,000 to $2,430 per tonne.
Estimates of production and consumption of butter in the European Community are given in "Agriculture Situation in the Community, 1993 Report".
CAP expenditure in 1994 on internal butter disposal subsidies was 669.4 million ecu=£517.1 using the average 1994 conversion rate of 1 ecu=£0.77249 million.
Details of the Exchequer cost of CAP support in the UK for butter can be found in section I of table 9.1 of "Agriculture in the UK". The UK also contributes to the EC budget as a whole, which funds the cost of the CAP support in other member states.
Copies of the publications mentioned have been deposited in the Library of the House.