§ Mr. Joplingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what considerations led the Government not to publish their observations on the Expenditure Committee's Report on Milk Production, which was published in August 1974, before 17th January 1975, in particular their observations on the Committee's recommendation for an increase of 8p per gallon in dairy farmers' net returns, which was introduced by the Government in October 1974.
§ Mr. BishopThe particular recommendation referred to in the Question was taken into account in the Government's autumn review of the dairy industry and
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(£ per ton) 1972 November 1974 Product C.I.F. Duty Levy Import subsidy C.I.F. Duty Levy Import subsidy £ £ Butter … New Zealand 508 Nil Nil Nil New Zealand* 361 Nil £127† Nil EEC(6): EEC (9): Nil Nil £48‡ France 469 France 650 Netherlands 480 Netherlands 652 Others: Germany 648 Denmark 503 Denmark 699 Ireland 494 Ireland 638 Poland 448 Others: No typical imports … Nil £292§ Nil Cheddar New Zeland 461 Nil Nil Nil New Zealand* 312 Nil £319† Nil Cheese EEC (6): EEC (9): Netherlands 381 £62 Nil Nil Netherlands 810 Nil Nil £60‡ Ireland 772 Nil Others: Others: Ireland 447 Nil Nil Nil No typical imports … Nil £392§ Nil Australia 474 Canada 635 Note: The most recent available c.i.f. figures are for November 1974. * Special c.i.f. price under Protocol 18. † Net levy after application of monetary compensatory amounts. ‡ Monetary compensatory amounts applied as an import subsidy. § Net levy after application of accession and monetary compensatory amounts. in the measures announced on 20th September last (Press Notice No. 303). The formulation of the Government's observations on the whole of the Committee's Report was carried out as quickly as possible having regard to the range of issues covered by the recommendations.