§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what sums have been paid by his Department and by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce to schools, educational establishments and educational organisations under the EEC scheme to encourage the consumption of milk in each of the four most recent annual periods for which figures are available; and if he is satisfied with the arrangements for supervising and controlling the accuracy of applications for such subsidies.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe sums paid in the last four years by the Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce under the European Community school milk scheme are:
£ 1980 19,561,472 1981 14,338,208 1982 14;782,095 1983 *20,376,862 * Provisional. We are satisfied with the arrangements for financial control.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will consult with the French Agriculture Minister to establish whether the granting of £700,000 to Mr. Daniel Telliez of Boulogne in respect of school milk subsidies for 40,000 children who did not exist was the consequence of a fault in the administrative procedures in this EEC scheme which the United Kingdom and France operate jointly; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MacGregorWe have drawn the recent press reports to the attention of the European Commission who have the responsibility for drawing up the Community rules for the administration of schemes and ensuring that member states operate in accordance with them. It is for the Commission to determine whether Community funds were involved and whether any changes in the Community rules may be called for.
§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the £700,000 which Mr. Daniel Telliez of Boulogne claimed in school milk subsidy for 40,000 children who never existed is a charge on EEC funds to which the United Kingdom is required to contribute.
268W
§ Mr. MacGregorUnder the terms of Community legislation, member states are required to recover sums of money lost or overpaid as a result of irregularities or negligence. If total recovery is not possible the member state concerned would bear the cost if any loss or over payment resulted from irregularities or negligence on the part of its administrative authorities.