§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will seek to arrange for a bulk purchase of all EEC surplus butter at 7p per pound for the British housewife.
§ Mr. McBrideasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will initiate discussions with the EEC Commission for the sale of the whole or part of the remaining European Community butter surplus to Great Britain to enable consumers here to enjoy similar subsidies to those afforded to consumers in the USSR by the sale to that country of 200,000 tons of butter surplus to EEC requirements.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartThe sale at low prices within the Community of the refrigerated butter still remaining in store would displace sales of the fresh butter that is coming forward and so would do little to relieve the basic surplus. A better solution to the whole problem would be to reduce butter prices generally to the advantage of the consumer and to get a continuing increase in consumption. Proposals for this are being considered by the Council of Ministers.