§ 12. Mr. Watsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which organisations he is consulting on the recommendations of the two Binder Hamlyn reports on milk.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerComments on both reports were invited from a range of interested organisations, including the dairy trade federations, the milk marketing boards, the farmers unions, the trades unions representing the workers in the dairy industry and the major consumer organisations.
§ Mr. WatsonWhen will my right hon. Friend be in a position to implement the proposals of the second Binder Hamlyn report?
§ Mr. WalkerI hope that we shall have completed discussions and drawn conclusions on what action should be taken within the coming month.
§ Mr. LangDoes my right hon. Friend recognise that any undue delay could be harmful to the industry? Does he accept that there has been a serious drop in the income of milk producers—as evidenced by the recent agricultural review—which requires attention?
§ Mr. WalkerI agree that there has been a drop in the income of dairy producers. The Government can claim to have taken a number of steps to assist them during a period of considerable increases in input costs. The decisions set out in the Binder Hamlyn report are highly technical, and are important for the long-term future of the industry.