HC Deb 06 February 1990 vol 166 c571W
Mr. David Nicholson

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will add the unfrozen 1 per cent. of temporarily suspended milk quota to the national quota for 1989–90, so as to avoid United Kingdom dairy farmers incurring superlevy.

Mr. Curry

The decision taken by the Council of Agriculture Ministers was to cancel 1 per cent. out of the 5.5 per cent. of suspended wholesale quota and to add an equivalent quantity of new quota to the Community reserve for distribution by member states to their producers. I am currently considering to which categories of producer this additional 1 per cent. should be allocated in the United Kingdom. While I will try to ensure that quota is distributed before the end of the current quota year I cannot guarantee that this will be achieved, since we need to obtain Commission approval for our plans. We will seek to have the new quotas in place as soon as possible.