§ Mr. Woofasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total of milk production lost to the home manufacturing of butter and cheese; what are the level of stocks of such commodities; if he will compare such quantities 520W of commodities imported from member countries of the European Economic Community; and how this affects the balance of payments.
§ Mr. BishopProvisional figures for the first six months of the current dairy year indicate that the quantity of milk supplied for the manufacture of butter and cheese in the United Kingdom was some 70 million gallons less than in the same period last year. This decline is partly accounted for by an increase of 18 million gallons for liquid consumption and other milk products.
Public cold-store stocks of butter totalled 69,600 tons on 5th July and stocks of cheese totalled 61,700 tons at end May, the latest date for which information is available.
Import figures for the above period are not yet available, but are expected to show increased imports of both butter and cheese from other member States. It is not possible to calculate precisely the net balance of payments cost of the reduction in United Kingdom milk supplies.