Milk Quotas (Hansard, 2 July 1987)

§ 7. Mr. Ashdown
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has received any recent representations about the allocation of milk quota between landlords and tenants.

§ Mr. Gummer
From time to time I receive comments on the operation of the current arrangements, and some organisations have discussed landlord-tenant issues in response to this Department's recent request for views on the future of the quota system.

§ Mr. Ashdown
Is the Minister aware of the deep concern that is felt in the National Farmers Union and other circles about the pressure that is being put on tenants by landlords who have received planning permission as a result of the relaxed regulations and who are seeking to remove tenants, either by making them offers that they cannot refuse, or, more worryingly, by putting down uncontestable eviction orders? What does the Minister intend to do to conserve and maintain milk quotas and also farmers' livelihoods?

§ Mr. Gummer
The hon. Gentleman is perfectly right to say that the Government are greatly concerned to conserve milk quotas and the livelihoods that depend on them. If he can give specific cases of the harassment to which he referred we shall, of course, examine them carefully. However, until this moment, that has not been one of the major concerns expressed to us. We have been anxious to get a reasonable balance between the natural interests of both tenants and landlords.

§ Mr. McLoughlin
Will my right hon. Friend also examine the position of landlords and tenants on the whole question of the sale of milk quotas? Does he not agree that the way in which milk quota is increasing in price is causing grave concern, and will he assure us that the Government will take measures to stop the sale of milk quotas?

§ Mr. Gummer
My hon. Friend might remember that when we first introduced milk quotas a universal demand of the farming industry was that milk quotas should be transferable, both by leasing and by sale. It was because of that that we allowed the arrangements to work as they do. Indeed, we have sought more flexibility and I think that our demand for greater flexibility for leasing will go some way towards meeting my hon. Friend's anxiety. It must be remembered that the price of milk quotas is part of the market rather than something that can be determined by Government diktat.