§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if Her Majesty's Government will consider making payments from central Government funds to dairy farmers in Wales who decide to leave dairy farming as a result of the European Economic Community milk quota provisions.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsUnder the terms of European Community regulations which adopt the general rules for the application of the supplementary levy, member states may
grant to producers undertaking to discontinue milk production definitively compensation paid in one or more annual payments".The Government will be considering this.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if it is possible under the European Economic Community milk quota provisions for Her Majesty's Government to choose the month from which the year will be calculated for the purposes of the quota.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsInitial provisional allocations of quota have been calculated on the basis of 1983 production minus 9 per cent. The new arrangements will apply from 2 April 1984 as laid down by the Commission.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales when the actual milk production quotas for dairy farmers in Wales will be announced for subsequent years.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsAs soon as possible.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give an assurance that the milk production by a farmer under the level of his quota in one year will not lead in subsequent years to a reduction in the size of his quota to the level of actual production in the previous year.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe utilisation of unused quota production in any one year is one of a number of issues still under discussion.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the number of dairy farmers in Wales who produce annually 240,000 litres of milk or less; and if he will express this figure (a) numerically, (b) as a percentage of total milk producers in Wales, (c) as a percentage of total milk producers in the United Kingdom, and (d) in terms of production as a percentage of total production of milk in both Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe number of wholesale milk producers of 240,000 litres or less totalled 4,672 in Wales in 1983–84. This represents about 64 per cent, of all producers in Wales registered with The Milk Marketing Board of England and Wales in March 1983 and some 9 per cent, of those registered with the boards in the United246W Kingdom. They accounted for about 31 per cent. of the total milk sales off farms in Wales in 1983–84 and some 3 per cent. of those in the United Kingdom as a whole.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales 'what is (a) the total number of farmers on Anglesey, (b) the total number of dairy farmers on Anglesey, (c) the total milk production annually from Anglesey, and (d) the total number of dairy farmers on Anglesey who have dairy herds of 50 cows or less.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe number of principal farmers in Anglesey totalled 1,157 in June 1982. In addition, there were 295 other partners and directors working on holdings. The current number of registrations held by milk producers is 273, but the number of farmers, partners and directors associated with this total it not known. The provisional estimate of total sales of milk off farms in 1983 is 45.5 million litres. The current number of registrations held by milk producers with herds of 50 dairy cows or less is 203.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales what factors were taken into consideration in allocating the milk quota attributable to Wales under the European Economic Community milk quota provisions.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe basis of the UK quota was the delivery figure for 1981. Allocation between regions of the United Kingdom also took account of adjustments to reflect the subsequent trend in deliveries in different parts of the United Kingdom as well as giving Northern Ireland the benefit of the 63.1 million litres from the Community reserve to produce a result which is fair to all regions of the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the percentage loss of income to a dairy farmer in Wales with a herd of 50 cows as a result of the European Economic Community milk quota provisions, taking account of all the circumstances including the loss in value of dairy cows.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsIt is not possible to estimate the effect of the European. Economic Community milk quota provisions on particular holdings, since the effect on individual producers will depend on the steps they take to adapt their present production systems to take account of the new measures.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if it is possible within the EEC milk quota scheme for Her Majesty's Government to exempt from quota provisions small farmers in Wales without a similar exemption having to apply to small farmers in other member countries of the EEC;
(2) if he will consider favourably the implementation of a scheme to exempt entirely from the EEC milk quota dairy farmers who produce annually 240,000 litres of milk or less.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe relevant European Community regulations contain no provisions for exemption of small farmers from the quota/supplementary levy arrangement either in the UK or any other Member State.
§ Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales if it is permitted within the EEC milk quota provisions, and if 247W he will consider favourably the deferment for 12 months of payment of the levy; and whether this practice is being proposed by any other member state of the EEC.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsThe terms of the European Community regulations make provision for the first collection of the levy in the United Kingdom within 45 days of 30 September 1984 at the latest and there-after quarterly. Only Italy and Greece are permitted by derogation to defer collection of the levy to within 45 days of the end of the first 12 months.
Average non-domestic rate poundages* for Wales† 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85‡ District rate County poundage Average non-domestic rate poundage District rate County poundage Average non-domestic rate poundage District rate County poundage Average non-domestic rate poundage Alyn and Deeside 17.4 148.0 165.4 16.7 148.0 164.7 25.7 162.0 187.7 Colwyn 33.1 148.0 181.1 28.1 148.0 176.1 32.1 162.0 194.1 Delyn 34.6 148.0 182.6 30.9 148.0 178.9 31.4 162.0 193.4 Glyndwr 26.0 148.0 174.0 24.2 148.0 172.2 26.3 162.0 188.3 Rhuddlan 31.8 148.0 179.8 31.5 148.0 179.5 33.0 162.0 195.0 Wrexham Maelor 28.5 148.0 176.5 29.0 148.0 177.0 31.2 162.0 193.2 Carmarthen 22.8 122.6 145.4 20.9 131.0 152.0 21.2 143.0 164.2 Ceredigion 17.6 122.6 140.2 16.7 131.0 147.6 18.9 143.0 161.9 Dinefwr 21.3 122.6 143.9 15.4 131.0 146.4 16.9 143.0 159.9 Llanelli 30.3 121.0 151.3 29.7 129.3 159.0 33.0 141.3 174.3 Preseli 19.7 122.6 142.3 19.3 131.0 150.3 19.5 143.0 162.5 South Pembrokeshire 20.5 122.6 143.1 20.6 131.0 151.6 21.9 143.0 164.9 Blaenau Gwent 36.5 135.0 171.5 32.6 141.0 173.6 33.1 141.0 174.1 Islwyn 29.0 135.0 164.0 24.0 141.0 165.0 32.0 141.0 173.0 Monmouth 26.9 135.0 161.9 21.3 141.0 162.4 27.9 141.0 168.8 Newport 30.5 135.0 165.5 30.7 141.0 171.6 34.4 141.0 175.4 Torfaen 38.9 135.0 173.9 38.2 141.0 179.2 46.2 141.0 187.2 Aberconwy 29.3 123.0 152.3 29.6 136.0 165.6 34.8 145.0 179.8 Arfon 26.8 123.0 149.8 26.8 136.0 162.8 31.0 145.0 176.0 Dwyfor 29.8 123.0 152.8 33.0 136.0 169.0 36.1 145.0 181.1 Meirionnydd 31.5 123.0 154.5 32.6 136.0 168.6 33.8 145.0 178.8 Ynys Mon 27.3 123.0 150.3 28.3 136.0 164.3 32.7 145.0 177.7 Cynon Valley 27.8 143.7 171.5 28.0 153.0 181.0 29.0 179.0 208.0 Merthyr Tydfil 38.5 143.7 182.2 39.4 153.0 192.4 39.5 179.0 218.5 Ogwr 30.2 145.4 175.6 27.9 154.7 182.6 31.8 181.1 212.9 Rhondda 30.3 143.7 174.0 28.0 153.0 181.0 27.0 179.0 206.0 Rhymney Valley 37.3 145.4 182.7 37.4 154.7 192.1 37.3 181.1 218.4 Taff Ely 28.6 145.4 174.0 23.2 154.7 177.9 31.1 181.1 212.2 Brecknock 16.8 128.0 144.8 18.9 128.0 146.9 22.7 134.0 156.7 Montgomery 14.7 128.0 142.7 15.5 128.0 143.5 17.6 134.0 151.6 Radnor 11.4 128.0 139.4 11.9 128.0 139.9 17.9 134.0 151.9 Cardiff 26.3 133.4 159.7 19.0 124.8 143.8 19.9 132.4 152.3 Vale of Glamorgan 22.0 133.4 155.4 22.3 124.8 147.1 23.9 132.4 156.3 Afan 41.0 161.0 202.0 40.3 165.0 205.3 42.0 175.0 217.0 Lliw Valley 28.1 161.0 189.1 28.2 165.0 193.2 28.3 175.0 203.3 Neath 24.5 161.0 185.5 22.1 165.0 187.1 24.0 175.0 199.0 Swansea 35.2 161.0 196.2 35.5 165.0 200.5 36.5 175.0 211.5 * For districts the average non-domestic rate poundage is the same as the average general rate poundage. Since there are differences between the services provided by the various districts, comparisons between them cannot easily be made. † Includes District poundage, County precept and Community Council precept. ‡ Provisional.