§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration was given by the EEC Council to guarantee thresholds for milk before it was decided to introduce quotas.
§ Mr. MacGregorA milk guarantee threshold was first introduced in 1982. This was implemented in the 1983 price fixing by means of an abatement in the increase in support prices and in this year's price fixing through the introduction of the supplementary levy on production in excess of guaranteed quantities. The United Kingdom Government would have preferred to deal with the dairy surplus problem through further price reductions alone, but it became clear early on in the negotiations that this alternative approach was not going to command sufficient support in the Council of Ministers and was not backed by the Commission.