HC Deb 03 February 1989 vol 146 cc412-3W
Mr. Gill

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about charges for work in connection with the enforcement of the milk and dairies regulations.

Mr. Donald Thompson

Following consultations with interested parties about the recommendations on the efficiency scrutiny report published last year, my right hon. Friend the Minister and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales propose to make certain adjustments which will enable us to reduce the charge for work in connection to the enforcement arrangements with a scheduled dairy farm inspection visit. We are proposing that this should be set at £78 with effect from 1 April 1989. The existing charge is £90 but it would otherwise have had to be increased to £105 to take account of increased costs since April 1987. We also propose to increase the concession for producers with fewer than 20 cows from £10 to £18, giving a proposed charge of £60 compared with the current charge of £80.

The scrutiny report did not identify any savings in the system for sampling and testing untreated milk and private water supplies. In order to recoup costs associated with the work it will be necessary to increase these charges from £22 to £26 to take account of increased costs since 1987. The charge will also need to be increased by a further £5 if the efficiency scrutiny's recommendation for changes to the tests on untreated milk is implemented. These changes are still to be considered.

The overall effect of the proposed changes will be to give a worthwhile reduction for virtually all milk producers.

Proposals for revised regulations reflecting these changes will be circulated shortly to interested organisations.