§ Mr. Neil Hamiltonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what information he has on the implementation of the European Economic Community's dairy quotas in the other member states.
§ Mr. MacGregorWe have pressed from the first for full details of implementation of dairy quotas in all Member States to be made available. As a result of our request in July, the Agriculture Commissioner made a report in September on the general legislative and administrative progress made in other member states. A list of the main legal instruments adopted was given in reply to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) of 31 October 1984. Details of the progress made in cutting back milk production were given in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) on 19 November 1984 at column76.
We continued to insist on the importance of dairy quotas being implemented fairly and equally throughout the Community at the October Agriculture Council., and at the Agriculture Council on 12–13 November asked the Commission to take immediate steps if the arrangements for charging levy in November were not being properly applied in particular member states. In discussion it became clear that the French Government was not ready to collect levy in November.
The Commission decided as an interim measure to delay by 10 days the dates for the collection of the first payments under the supplementary levy arrangements. After further consideration the Commission is now adopting a measure which will require the levy for the first six months to be collected within 75 days after 30 September. The Commission have also said that they will immediately open infringement proceedings against any Member State not applying the system or not applying it properly. We shall continue to insist that these arrangements are respected.
§ Mr. Hargreavesasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has for alterations in the milk quota regulations.
§ Mr. MacGregorAs we have already indicatedwe intend to provide for reallocation of quota purchased under the outgoers scheme to help small producers with under 200,000 litres of quota. This will require an addition to the regulations. We feel that the present regulations are too inflexible in relation to transferability of quotas and we shall be pressing in Brussels for changes giving more flexibility. We shall be consulting closely with the United Kingdom industry about the precise form of the quota transfer system we shall be seeking.
We have also been well aware that the inability to have full flexibility between wholesale and direct sales quotas poses many practical problems. However, in all our contacts with the Commission they have argued that the two quotas are not interchangeable. At recent Council meetings we have stressed once again the need for flexibility and the Agriculture Commissioner has agreed to consider what amendments might be put forward without undermining the system as agreed at the last price fixing.
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§ Mr. Nicholsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the estimated cutback in milk production to date in the England and Wales board areas since milk quotas were implemented.
§ Mr. MacGregorIn the period April-September 1984 deliveries to the Milk Marketing Board in England and Wales were down 9.4 per cent. on the same period of last year.