HC Deb 12 November 1979 vol 973 cc469-70W
Mr. David Steel

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to make a statement on grants for pasteurising equipment and new gradings for milk after abolition of premium grade

Mr. Younger

A statement on these matters will be made soon following completion of our review of the previous Government's untreated milk policy.

Mr. John Mackay

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will give the weekly figures of milk production since the beginning of September, together with the corresponding figures for 1978.

Mr. Younger

The figures of milk production in the areas covered by the three

in each of the last five years, and the estimate for 1979 where the cows were (a) on a less favoured area and (b) on a lowland farm, in both real and actual terms.

Mr. Younger

The information is not available in the form requested. Results from suckler herds in Scotland as a whole, recorded by the Meat and Livestock Commission, are expressed as a gross margin per cow.* The available results are shown in the table below.

milk marketing boards in Scotlands are as follows:

Week ended '000 litres
2 September 1978 22,948
9 September 1978 22,910
16 September 1978 22,578
23 September 1978 22,638
30 September 1978 22,699
7 October 1978 22,741
14 October 1978 22,771
21 October 1978 22,968
28 October 1978 22,770
4 November 1978 22,822
1 September 1979 21,845
8 September 1979 21,770
15 September 1979 19,819
22 September 1979 21,888
29 September 1979 21,928
6 October 1979 21,854
13 October 1979 21,734
20 October 1979 21,338
27 October 1979 21,105
3 November 1979 21,165
The figures included for the Scottish milk marketing board are in respect of weeks ending Friday; for the other two boards, for weeks ending Saturday.