§ 5. Mr. Scott-Hopkinsasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she will include blue Stilton in the cheese subsidy at a level comparable to other English cheeses.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe manufacturers have made representations on this subject, but I have no proposals to do so at present.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsDoes the hon. Gentleman realise how grossly unfair this is to the manufacturers such as those in my own constituency at Hartington, for instance, who are large manufacturers of blue Stilton? While there is a subsidy of £188 per ton on white Stilton it seems grossly unfair that blue Stilton should be discriminated against. Does the hon. Gentleman realise that he is jeopardising a great many jobs in an area where it is difficult to find alternative employment? As long as these subsidies continue, will the hon. Gentleman reconsider this matter?
§ Mr. MaclennanThe hon. Gentleman will know that in introducing the cheese subsidy we were seeking to subsidise cheeses which were price competitors with Cheddar. Blue Stilton remains a luxury cheese of a specialised taste.
§ Mr. RostIs it not nonsense to increase the subsidies on a wide range of imported foreign cheeses at a time when the British farmer is not receiving a fair return and British cheese production is declining?
§ Mr. MaclennanThe tiny proportion of foreign cheeses which are benefiting from subsidy are all price competitive with Cheddar and, therefore, eligible. The hon. Gentleman would do well to recognise that in pursuing our policy we have been following our international obligations under the GATT.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the question on the Adjournment at the earliest possible opportunity.
§ 11. Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she is satisfied with the present level of subsidy on white Stilton cheese; and whether she will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaclennanYes, Sir. The rate of subsidy, which has been increased to £188 per ton with effect from today to offset EEC decisions on farm prices, applies to all eligible varieties of cheese, including white Stilton.
§ Mr. LathamHow much longer will the Minister continue to waste £21 million of public money on subsidising foreign cheeses of which no one has ever heard while discriminating against blue Stilton, the production process of which is exactly the same as for white Stilton?
§ Mr. MaclennanThe hon. Gentleman ought to be aware that if we accepted the arguments of his hon. Friends we should be subsidising blue Stilton and other comparable cheeses and expending at least an extra £3 million of taxpayers' money.
In a letter to the Stilton Cheesemakers' Association my Department has indicated that we shall be prepared to consider any specific evidence that the association may bring forward to show that subsidies have affected sales of blue Stilton. So far it has not done so.