§ Mr. Gordon Brownasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to introduce a rationing system for the sale in the United Kingdom of butter under the European Economic Community reduced price butter scheme.
§ Mr. MacGregorThe Commission regulation which authorises the special butter sale requires that member states take measures to ensure as far as possible a balanced distribution of the butter made available under the scheme. To this end we have allocated the butter to suppliers of butter to the packet market on the basis of their past sales and have required that they endeavour to ensure that it is distributed to the wholesalers and retailers broadly on the basis of past trade. We do not intend to introduce a system of rationing at retail level. There is, however, nothing to prevent individual retailers from taking steps to ensure any particular distribution of the butter amongst their customers but this is a matter for retailers to decide.