§ Mr. Nicholsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what volume of direct sales quota has been applied for in the United Kingdom; and how the total volume of valid claims compares with the official statistics for direct sales in the year from April 1983 to 31 March 1984 and in the calendar year 1981.
§ Mr. MacGregorI regret that the volume of direct sales quota applied for in the United Kingdom is not yet available. A final figure will not be known until all applications for primary and for secondary quota have been considered, and the dairy produce quota tribunals has heard all appeals against awards of secondary quota made by local panels.
Statistics show that levels of recorded direct sales in the years in question were:
- 1981 calendar year 326.3 million litres
- 1983–84 marketing year 338.78 million litres
This reflects direct sales of producer processors, producer retailers farmhouse cheesemakers; farmhouse butter, certain cheeses, and cream are not reported.
§ Mr. Nicholsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken by Her Majesty's Government to check the authenticity of claims for direct sales quotas.
§ Mr. MacGregorAll producers who declared that they were engaged in direct sales on 2 April this year will, 135W prima facie, be eligible for registration and entitled to quota allocations. The dairy produce quotas regulations provide heavy penalties for making false or reckless statements to secure an allocation of quota, and Ministers may, following conviction for such offences, in addition, reduce quotas.
As part of normal administrative procedures, officials of my Department will be checking any inconsistencies found between details given in direct sellers' applications and existing information normally available to the Department.
§ Mr. Nicholsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the total volume of valid direct sales claims compares with the national direct sales quota.
§ Mr. MacGregorI regret that it is not yet possible to assess the final figure of direct sales primary and secondary quota against the United Kingdom total quota allocation of 386.5 million litres, or 398,000 tonnes. The applications are still being processed.
§ Mr. Nicholsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the size of the national direct sales reserve; and what proportion of this volume arises from the surrender of direct sales quota by producers who have ceased direct selling.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe dairy produce quotas regulations 1984 provide that a direct sales reserve may be created from any quota not allocated to producers, and by such quota as may be given up by direct sellers.
Until all special case claims have been settled it is not possible to give direct sellers their final quota allocations and determine whether there is any unallocated quota to be placed in the reserve. Firm undertakings are now being received from producers who have applied and have been invited to give up direct sales quota under the outgoers' scheme which will provide the second element in the creation of a reserve.