HC Deb 23 May 1974 vol 874 cc583-5
13. Mr. Peter Milks

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he proposes to encourage milk production so that there is enough to meet the requirements of cheese and butter.

Mr. Buchan

We shall take whatever action may be considered necessary in the light of the Government's policy objective of maintaining maximum economic home production of milk, both for liquid consumption and for manufacture.

Mr. Mills

Why cannot the hon. Gentleman see that further subsidisation of liquid milk upsets the whole allocation of milk for manufacturing purposes, and that if he continues with this policy —as I am afraid will happen— there will be a shortage of cheese, and butter production will be cut by about half in this country? This really is nonsense.

Mr. Buchan

Not quite so much nonsense as the hon. Gentleman's hypothesis. The extent of the subsidy of milk, which the right hon. Member for Cambridgeshire (Mr. Pym) supports, since he is all in favour of the consumer, will reflect only about 1 per cent. of the estimated increase in milk supplies. More cheese will be produced this year than last.

Mr. Stephen Ross

Has the hon. Gentleman consulted the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection about the fact that cheese is already in very short supply? One of the bigger grocers in my constituency informed me last weekend that cheese was no longer available to him from the creamery concerned because it had ceased producing cheese, owing to the shortage of milk.

Mr. Buchan

I do not know about a particular plant in the hon. Gentleman's constituency but if he has a case to raise I hope that he will write to me or to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection. I repeat: the outlook is as I have described it.

Mr. Swain

I should declare an interest. I have a window box in the upstairs window of my bungalow. Is my hon. Friend aware that three months before the demise of the Conservative Government there was a grave possibility, for the first time in the history of Great Britain, of our having to import liquid milk for all purposes? As a result of the discussions which are now taking place between Ministers and the farmers, some confidence appears to have been restored among dairy farmers. The milk subsidy given to farmers as a propaganda stunt by the Conservative Government during the election was absorbed almost before it was given, by the increase in the cost of feeding stuffs.

Mr. Buchan

Judging by the reaction of Opposition Members to what my hon. Friend has said, that appears to be the case. What they are saying, in effect, is that the award they gave at the end of February was too late. By their present complaining on the matter they are also suggesting that it was too little.

Mr. Anthony Stodart

Contrary to what the hon. Member for Derbyshire, North-East (Mr. Swain) has said, there was never any likelihood of importing liquid milk. Does the Minister of State recall saying, not long ago, that if we did run short of cheese we could easily import it? Does not that fly right in the face of what the Minister of Agriculture himself says about wanting to grow as much agricultural produce in this country as possible?

Mr. Buchan

I do not know where the hon. Gentleman got his quote from but it is wrong. I pointed out that in previous years we had had to import cheese and other milk products, and that the same would apply this year. I have already given the House the prediction. If there is a shortage of milk it is not caused by the consumer subsidy, which affects about 1 per cent. of the increased uptake. If anything is going wrong it is because, as the Opposition now accept, the Conservative Government gave an insufficient award in February. The Opposition cannot have it both ways.