Milk Marketing Board (Hansard, 24 May 1994)

§ Mr. Harvey
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will estimate how long she expects the residuary milk marketing board to continue in existence.

§ Mr. Jack
A residuary milk marketing board will come into existence only if an approved reorganisation scheme is142W implemented. My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Wales and the Minister, have yet to reach a decision on whether to grant the milk marketing board's application for approval. If a residuary MMB were to take over it might need to remain in existence for six years or more, given the legal possibility which exists for product liability claims to be brought in that period.

§ Mr. Harvey
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will bring forward proposals providing for milk producers to have majority representation on(a) the residuary milk marketing board, (b) the milk development council and (c) Genus.

§ Mr. Jack
The milk marketing board has proposed in its reorganisation scheme that the board of a residuary MMB should have majority producer representation. I cannot comment on individual aspects of the MMB's proposals in advance of a formal decision on whether to grant the board's application for approval but we have said that we believe producers should be strongly represented on any residuary board. If the MMB's proposals were implemented Genus would become Genus Ltd, an independent company. The constitution proposed by the MMB does not make special provision for producer representation on the board.
No decision has been taken to establish a milk development council. We are awaiting the result of the recent poll of producers.

§ Mr. Harvey
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if she will make it her policy to promote a free market in milk supply rather than establish an arbitration mechanism.

§ Mr. Jack
My right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretary of State for Wales are considering, in accordance with the provisions of the Agriculture Act 1993, whether to grant the milk marketing board's application for approval of its reorganisation scheme. The question whether or not approval should be granted does not pose itself in the terms suggested.