HC Deb 30 October 1980 vol 991 cc363-4W
Rev. Ian Paisley

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the present position of negotiations with the EEC on the possibility of the EEC school milk scheme subsidy becoming payable without the United Kingdom Government having to make a direct contribution to school milk from United Kingdom public funds; what is the reason for the delay in these negotiations; and if he will undertake that the matter will be expedited for with in the interests of both the schoolchildren of Northern Ireland, currently without school milk, and the dairy farmers of Northern Ireland, who find demand for their produce reduced as a result.

Mr. Peter Walker

The European Commission has now agreed to regard the contributions made by central and local government collectively as meeting the required 25 per cent. national authorities' contribution. Details of the arrangements have been worked out with all the interested parties and these are being cleared with the European Commission.