§ Mr. MarlowTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the level of beef consumption in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) France, (c) Germany, (d) Italy, (e) Belgium and if) Holland in each of the last six weeks. [25921]
§ Mrs. Browning[holding answer 22 April 1996]: According to a consumer survey conducted on behalf of the Meat and Livestock Commission, overall beef consumption in the UK in the four weeks to 7 April was down 20 per cent. on the same period last year; down 26 per cent. in the four weeks to 5 May; down 27 per cent. in the four weeks to 2 June; and down 24 per cent. in the four weeks to 30 June, the latest available figure.
For other member states, precise information on beef consumption is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that beef consumption in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Holland, and across the EU, is well below normal levels.