Mr. BiSenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on Government policy concerning the Common Market requirements specifying three grades of milk with varying butterfat contents; and what estimate he has made of the implied additional butter manufacture if such regulations applied to domestic milk output at current levels.
§ Mr. Anthony StodartEEC Regulation No. 1411/71 specifies the fat content of whole milk, semi-skimmed milk and skimmed milk destined for liquid consumption within the Community. It provides for a maximum fat content of 1–8 per cent and a minimum of 1–5 per cent. for semi-skimmed milk and a maximum of 0–3 per cent. for skimmed milk. Little skimmed and semi-skimmed milk is drunk in this country.
As regards whole milk the regulation specifies a minimum fat content of 3–5 per cent. The United Kingdom negotiated a derogation from this particular provision. This derogation is set out in the Treaty of Accession and authorises the supply as whole milk until 31st December 1975 in the United Kingdom of milk with a fat content of less than 3–5 per cent., provided the milk has not been subject to any skimming. After that date, under the terms of the EEC regulation, no whole milk could be sold if it had a fat content of less than 3–5 per cent. The regulation would not prevent milk with a 144W fat content of over 3–5 per cent. being sold, nor need a higher fat content be reduced. If, however, the dairy trade decided to standardise whole milk in the United Kingdom at 3–5 per cent. fat, it is estimated that up to about 15,000 tons of extra butter might be produced.