§ Sir Peter Millsasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the reasons for the cuts in milk quotas; and to what extent Britain contributes to dairy surpluses.
§ Mr. Jopling[pursuant to his reply, 8 May 1987]: Cuts in milk quotas in 1987–88 and 1988–89 were needed because supply continued to exceed demand: the Commission estimated that even with quotas at their previously agreed level the Community was still producing 91 million tonnes of surplus milk each year. Provisional figures for 1986 show that over 90,000 tonnes of United Kingdom butter was sold into intervention that year—nearly 15 per cent. of the community total—while intervention purchases of United Kingdom skimmed milk powder amounted to over 65,000 tonnes, about 11 per cent. of the Community total.