§ Mr. Spellerasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek powers to implement a whole herd buy-out scheme to purchase and slaughter cows, similar to that now in operation in the United States of America; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GummerThe American scheme is similar to the EC non-marketing of milk premium scheme which operated between 1977 and 1980 but which did not prove to be a great success. The Commission has preferred to tackle the problem through an EC outgoers scheme linked to milk quotas and which aims to reduce quota levels by 3 per cent. over the next three years.