§ Mr. Corbettasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will announce the maximum wholesale and retail prices of milk for liquid consumption to operate from 1st April 1978.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe maximum retail price of milk will be kept unchanged at 12½p per pint.
The maximum wholesale prices will be reduced for the summer months to meet expected increases in distribution costs and in accordance with the new pricing arrangements for liquid milk introduced on 1st January under which maximum wholesale prices are varied seasonally. The new prices, which take effect from 1st April will be as follows:
p per litre England and Wales (except London) 12.166 London 11.706 Scotland 12.083 Northern Ireland (except Belfast) 11.075 Belfast 10.984 All the factors affecting the level of the maximum prices, including seasonal considerations such as the higher costs of milk production in the winter, and the need to enable milk producers to obtain returns consistent with the Government's policy for the industry, will be reviewed 644W thoroughly in the late summer, and the maximum prices for the subsequent period will be set in the light of that review.