§ Mr. Stan Thorne asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take up the option offered by the European Economic Community and ensure that the subsidy for school milk is not exclusive to full fat milk but equally favouring skimmed and semi-skimmed milks.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith:I am at present considering whether to include certain kinds of semi-skimmed milks in the United Kingdom programme under the European Community's school milk subsidy arrangements.
Mr. Stan Thorne asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will modify the milk subsidy arrangements so that the distribution of the subsidy is more equal across applying authorities.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith:I am not aware of any such inequalities that are likely to arise from the present arrangements, but if the hon. Member has any particular point in mind I should be happy to consider it.
Mr. Stan Thorne asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will take powers to ensure that local authorities in receipt of the milk subsidy pass on the entire subsidy minus genuine administrative costs to the children drinking milk.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith:After negotiation with the Commission of the European Communities my right hon. Friend has set a maximum price of 18½p per pint at which milk may be sold to school children by those local authorities which receive subsidy. I am satisfied that this price is reasonable, given the level of the subsidy and the authorities' need to cover their costs.
Mr. Stan Thorne asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, if he will take action to promote the drinking of low fat milk and milk products.
§ Mr. Buchanan-Smith:Should the dairy industry identify a demand for the products to which the hon. Member refers, I should of course be glad to lend what support I can to any promotional measures that it may undertake. Indeed, my right hon. Friend and I have recently done so in the case of flavoured milk.