HC Deb 11 January 1994 vol 235 cc45-7W
Mrs. Peacock

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent Britain's demand for milk and milk products is satisfied by domestic production; what are the main sources of imported milk products; to what extent the gap is affected by the extent of the Milk Marketing Board's promotion of the use of home-produced milk; and what effect she expects the Milk Marque to have on the shortfall between domestic production and demand.

Mr. Jack

The United Kingdom produces sufficient milk to meet its needs for liquid consumption and for protein products like skimmed milk powder. It is, however, only 85 per cent. self-sufficient in butterfat, so production is insufficient to meet the demand for cheese and butter. Imports of milk products into the United Kingdom come mainly from other EC countries. In 1992, 92 per cent. of our cheese imports, 231,693 tonnes, came from the EC, with the remainder imported mainly from New Zealand, 7,964 tonnes, Canada, 4,068 tonnes, and Australia, 2,500 tonnes. In the same year, 97 per cent. of our imports of yoghurt, buttermilk and whey originated in the Community. For butter, the position is rather different since a large proportion, 41 per cent., of our imports comes from New Zealand under a preferential access agreement which was concluded at the time of our accession to the EC. The remaining 59 per cent. of our butter imports come from the Community.

The level of the United Kingdom's self-sufficiency in milk has less to do with the promotional activities of the milk marketing boards than with the total amount of milk quota available to our producers. Our national production quota is insufficient to meet the total domestic demand for milk and milk products; the introduction of new milk marketing arrangements next year will not alter this position.

Mrs. Peacock

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment she has made of whether the national interest and that of milk producers would be better served by the bulk of our milk being handled by processors who have a proven track record in the development of new products instead of by Milk Marque, the successor of the Milk Marketing Board.

Mr. Jack

My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales will have to have regard to all the circumstances when deciding whether to approve the Milk Marketing Board's reorganisation scheme. One of the main purposes of ending the milk marketing scheme is to allow producers to decide to whom and on what terms to sell their milk. I look forward to when they will be free to do so.

Mrs. Peacock

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the Government's working definition of the term "marketing"; and what connection Milk Marque will have with marketing.

Mr. Jack

Milk Marque's objects are set out in its constitution. They includethe activities of marketing and preparation for market of milk produced by its Members on land occupied by them and used for agriculture".

It is for Milk Marque to decide how to pursue this object.

Mrs. Peacock

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is her policy on the concept of an interdependent partnership between milk producers and an established milk processor with a vested interest in generating demand for new milk products and satisfying it from British farms.

Mr. Jack

The Government welcome the establishment of new partnerships between producers and processors which are in accordance with our objectives of establishing a competitive market in raw milk.