§ Mr. David Atkinsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to the European Community on subsidies to ice cream manufacturers who use butter or butter oil in preference to milk or cream.
§ Mr. MacGregorSubsidies are currently available under European Community arrangements on butter and butter oil used in the manufacture of ice cream. The Commission is suspending the element of these arrangements relating to subsidies on butter-fat purchased on the open market because of concern about speculation in advance of the proposed adjustment of the intervention price for butter and in order to encourage greater uptake of reduced price butter from intervention stocks. We are pressing the Commission to resume the full range of subsidies as soon as possible.