asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will advocate to the Commission of the EEC that, in future, excess of beef and milk products should be offered at subsidised prices to Third World countries before tenders are sought from other countries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Beef and Milk Products.
16.
All exports of milk and beef products from the European Community are subject to an export subsidy which represents the difference between the Community prices and the world prices obtaining for these products.
Surpluses of milk and beef produce in the Community may be given free of charge each year to Third World countries under the Community's food aid programme. For 1976 the Council of Ministers approved a food aid programme for the supply of butter oil and skim milk powder to a large number of Third World countries and to organisations such as the Red Cross. In the 1976 food aid programme, 45,000 tonnes of butter oil and 150,000 tonnes of skim milk powder were allocated to the Third World. The programme for 1977 has not yet been approved by the Council of Ministers.
EEC stocks of intervention beef currently amount to about 300,000 tonnes, of which 60,000 tonnes in the form of preserved products would be suitable for use as food aid. No special export subsidy exists, however, for sales to Third World countries. Only preserved beef is really suitable for use as food aid for Third World countries. We would of course support measures to dispose of Community stocks to Third World countries on terms favourable to such countries.
I did not hear the Parliamentary Secretary very clearly but I understand that he said that some of these foods are made available free to the Third World countries.
There is a programme for making food available free. There is no programme for a special export subsidy as distinct from the ordinary export subsidy for the sale of food cheaply to Third World countries specifically.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary agree that some such scheme should be thought of?
We would be sympathetic to that.
Questions Nos. 17 and 18 postponed.