asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what sales have been made in the United Kingdom of intervention butter; by whom; to whom and on what terms; and what is the origin of any such butter.

Since February 1973 nearly 31,000 tonnes of home produced butter have been sold out of intervention by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce. About 4,000 tonnes have been sold to non-profit-making organisations, 600 tonnes to the Armed Forces and 3,000 tonnes to manufacturers, all these being Community outlets. Nearly 23,400 tonnes have been sold on to the open market. All these sales have been in accordance with the appropriate EEC Regulations.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the export price of New Zealand butter in pence per pound and the approximate transport cost to the United Kingdom in pence per pound.

I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Newham, South (Mr. Spearing) on 7th March.—[Vol. 927, c. 408.]

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether any butter from the United Kingdom was included in the recent export by the European Economic Community of cut price butter to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Although applicants for the advance fixing of export refunds are requested to disclose the destination they are not required to do so. However, as far as I am aware, no United Kingdom butter was exported to the USSR.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the difference between the prevailing price of butter created by current EEC regulations and practice and the price that would prevail under the arrangements which applied in Great Britain in 1972.

It is not possible to provide a reliable indication of butter prices if arrangements similar to those which applied in 1972 were to obtain today.