§ Mr. E. Rowlandsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the future level of liquid milk prices.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesIt has been decided that the following changes should be made in the maximum retail prices of 233W milk. For the five weeks beginning Sunday, 27th July this year, the price of ordinary pasteurised and untreated milk will be reduced from 10½d. to 10d. a pint. Prices of other grades of milk will remain unchanged, except that the maximum price of Channel Islands and South Devon farm-bottled milk will be increased by ½d. to 1s. 1d. a pint. The resulting schedule of milk prices will be increased by 1d. a pint at all points from Sunday, 31st August this year. The seasonal pricing arrangements for Channel Islands and South Devon milk introduced in 1965 will be discontinued.
In deciding on these adjustments, the Government have followed their policy of keeping the retail prices of milk as low as possible consistent with the objective of meeting without subsidy the established costs of providing a sufficient remuneration for those engaged in producing. processing and distributing milk. With the demonetisation of the halfpenny at the beginning of August, it will no longer be possible for milk prices to contain odd halfpennies. Taking these two considerations together, the Government have found it possible to give the ordinary consumer the benefit of a price reduction of a halfpenny a pint for the five-week period from 27th July.
Milk which is supplied under the Welfare Foods Service at 6d. a pint for the basic grades is not affected by these changes.
The necessary Orders will be laid before Parliament as soon as possible.