§ Mr. PawseyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his policy on the future of milk quotas and whether milk quotas will remain at existing levels.
§ Mr. CurrySince 1984 we have accepted milk quotas as the only negotiable means of controlling the cost to the Community of market support in the dairy sector. That cost is still excessive and I should welcome proposals from the European Commission for non-discriminatory quota cuts, together with support price adjustments as a step towards a more market-oriented regime. In the longer run the objective must be to move to levels of support which would permit the abandonment of quotas and allow market forces to influence production levels. In the meantime I have made it very clear that I could not contemplate discriminatory cuts in quota.