§ Baroness Gardner of Parkesasked Her Majesty's Government:
What answer they have made to the recent reasoned opinion from the European Commission about low fat milk.
§ The Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Baroness Trumpington)In its reasoned opinion, the Commission asserts that the exclusive purchasing rights granted to the Milk16WA Marketing Boards under Community legislation extend to whole milk only. It takes the view that the actions undertaken by the Milk Marketing Boards to assert exclusive purchasing rights over low fat milk, and the extension of the three Scottish Milk Marketing Schemes in 1982 and 1984 to cover low fat milk are contrary to Community law. It also states that the United Kingdom Government have failed in their obligation to ensure that the boards comply with Community requirements.
We are today informing the Commission that the Government consider that skimmed and semi-skimmed milk should be regarded as falling within the exclusive purchasing powers of the boards. They therefore do not accept that they are in breach of their obligations under the EC Treaty or Community law.
Our response to the reasoned opinion in no way reduces the need for progress to be made on ending the Milk Marketing Boards' present statutory monopoly. The need for change is as great as ever and we are looking to the boards to advance rapidly towards voluntary co-operative status. We shall therefore be urging the Milk Marketing Board for England and Wales to complete its current proposals.