§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what factors does she attributes the difference in gross payments per litre of milk produced in the UK compared with prices in(a) France (b) Germany and (c) other EU member states. [184730]
§ Alun MichaelAs has been stated in response to parliamentary questions on a number of occasions, KPMG's report, "Prices and Profitablitily in the GB Supply Chain", concluded that low farmgate prices in the UK were largely due to the structure of the UK industry, the low value of the product mix and the low level of product innovation within the UK compared with some member states.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what checks are carried out on the quality of milk imported(a) from (i) new and (ii) longer-standing, members of the EU and (b) from elsewhere; and if she will make a statement. [185228]
§ Alun MichaelAll milk imported into the UK from other EU member states must have been produced in accordance with the Community rules laid down in Council Directive 92/46/EEC. All milk and milk products placed on the market in the EU must conform to the requirements of that Directive irrespective of
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UK imports of liquid milk 1999–2003 Thousand litres Country 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Grand Total Irish Republic 60,342 60,199 54,835 26,233 19,495 221,105 Denmark 30,334 25,166 9,421 795 425 66,140 Germany 17,078 19,531 11,196 5,629 3,888 57,323 France 13,288 8,514 9,667 10,299 8,600 50,368 Belgium 6,786 6,922 3,811 2,345 3,759 23,624 Netherlands 3,620 462 919 2,198 1,027 8,227 Austria 2,844 1,355 — — — 4,200 whether they originate from new or existing member states. Community rules permit random spot checks at destination on milk imported into the UK from other EU member states. Plants in the new member states which could not meet the requirements of Directive 92/46/EEC on accession were granted transitional status and allowed to place products on their domestic market for a limited period as long as they bore a special health mark which identified them as being only for the domestic market.
The above Directive lays down the hygiene rules which apply to the production wrapping, storage and transportation of milk to ensure human and animal health are protected.
Ensuring that all member states comply with their Community obligations in properly implementing and applying the Directive is the responsibility of the European Commission, whose Food and Veterinary Office carries out regular programmes of inspection visits to all member slates. All milk imported into the UK from third countries must come from EU approved establishments in approved countries and must be accompanied by appropriate animal and public health certification signed by a veterinarian of the competent authority. The milk must enter via an approved Border Inspection Post (BIP) where it is subject to veterinary inspection to ensure that conditions of import have been complied with and to ensure that it has remained in a satisfactory condition during transport. The checks ensure that all the required documentation is correct and applies to the consignment in question. 50 per cent. of consignments of milk imported for human consumption are also given a physical check which can include taking samples for laboratory analysis.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many litres of imported milk have been rejected in the last five years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [185229]
§ Alun MichaelThere are no figures available on the amount of milk imported into the UK that has been rejected.
§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much milk has been imported in the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by country of origin; and if she will make a statement. [185230]
§ Alun MichaelThe table below show the UK imports of liquid milk in each of the last five years to 2003, broken down by country of despatch.
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UK imports of liquid milk 1999–2003 Thousand litres Country 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Grand Total Italy 114 91 101 70 590 Portugal — 0 — — 40 40 Spain 23 14 — — — 37 Sweden 1 — — — — 1 EU 15 Total 134,431 122,378 89,940 47,600 37,303 431,653 Source: H M Customs and Excise. Data prepared by Statistics (Commodities and Food) Consultancy, Trade and IT, ESD, DEFRA. Note: 2003 data one provisional and subject to amendment
§ Mr. PatersonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will provide figures for(a) UK imports, (b) exports, (c) production, (d) domestic use and (e) self-sufficiency of major milk products for (i) 2002, (ii) 2003 and (iii) 2004 (estimated). [184815]
§ Alun MichaelThe information requested is given in the following table. Care is needed when interpreting forecasts for 2004 as only a small proportion of data for 2004 are so far available and market developments from now until the end of the year remain uncertain.
UK milk products: Production and supplies of milk products manufactured by both dairy companies and on farm Thousand tonne (unless otherwise specified) 2002 2003(provisional) 2004 (forecast) Butter (a) (b) Production (c) 136 148 152 Imports 116 118 122 Exports 39 44 41 Total new supply (d) 213 222 233 Increase in stocks (e) 1 -2 -2 Total domestic uses (d) (e) 212 224 234 Production as percentage of total new supply for use in UK 64 67 65 Closing stocks (e) 19 17 15 Cheese Production (c) 380 362 370 Imports 285 320 318 Exports 82 90 100 Total new supply 583 593 588 Increase in stocks -3 -5 4 Total domestic uses 585 598 584 Production as percentage of total new supply for use in UK 65 61 63 Closing stocks (f) 12 7 0