§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the average impact on individual producers of his Department claiming in full the compensation available from the EU resulting from each significant revaluation of the Green Pound during 1997. [18098]
§ Mr. Rooker[holding answer 27 November 1997]: No. The compensation which HMG could pay under the EU rules to offset the income effects of green rate revaluations this year stands at around £980 million, of which up to half may be reclaimed from the EU budget. It would be for Ministers to decide the mechanisms for distributing any such aid to the four sectors eligible for assistance under the EU rules.