asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the price of butter, beef and cheese in the United Kingdom compares with the export price from Australia and New Zealand to non-EEC markets for the latest period for which information is available, expressed in £ sterling prices.
Figures are two years out of date as the latest period for which the information requested on Australian and New Zealand export prices is available in 1979. This information is given as follows, together with prices of the same commodities on United Kingdom wholesale markets. The prices are not necessarily comparable because of differences in quality and packaging and because the export price does not include transport and other costs from the country of origin. In some cases the prices relate to small volumes of trade.
| £ per tonne | |||
| Average Export Prices 1979 | UK prices | ||
| Australia | New Zealand | 1979 | |
| Butter | 788 | 578 | 1674 (a) |
| Beef | 1091 | 1121 | 1360 (b) |
| Cheese | 736 | 626 | 1402 (c) |
| Source: United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics 1979, average unit value of exports F.O.B. to non-European Community countries. | |||
| (a) English sweet cream—UK provision Trade Federation, First hand (before deduction of subsidy of £194 per tonne). | |||
| (b) Scottish killed sides—Smithield. | |||
| (c) Cheddar—white creamery rindless—UK Provision Trade Federation, first hand. | |||