§ 10. Mr. Anthony CoombsTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the Goat Producers Association concerning legislative control over the production of goats' milk.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonI have received a copy of the circular letter that the chairman of the Goat Producers Association sent to a number of hon. Members earlier this year.
§ Mr. CoombsBearing in mind the purely voluntary clean milk scheme of the Goat Producers Association, is it the case that, under the Food Act 1984, there are specific regulations for monitoring the quality of cows' milk but not goats' milk? Therefore, bearing in mind any impending food legislation, is there a strong case for extending the regulations to goats' milk? Does the Minister intend to do that?
§ Mr. ThompsonMy hon. Friend is quite right. We have no powers. The wording of the Food Act means that detailed regulations applying to cows' milk cannot be extended to goats' milk. However, consultations on the new Food Bill have suggested that powers should be taken to enable Ministers to regulate the production of milk from other animals as well as cows.
§ Mr. HardyWill the Minister take great care to ensure that people who own small herds of goats are not placed in ruinous difficulty as a result of any regulations?
§ Mr. ThompsonThe hon. Gentleman will be pleased to learn that the National Goat Society held its annual international conference in my constituency this year. Therefore, I was able to discuss these important matters with it face to face.