§ Mr. WebbTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will estimate the share of the domestic retail milk market currently accounted for by imports; and if he will provide corresponding figures for each of the last 10 years. [79939]
322W
§ Mr. RookerIn 1998, it is estimated that imports accounted for 0.8 per cent. of the domestic retail liquid drinking milk market. The corresponding figures for each of the last ten years are shown in the table.
Liquid drinking milk in the United Kingdom (thousand tonnes unless otherwise specified) Year Production1 Imports2 Exports2 Total domestic use Imports as a percentage of total domestic use 1988 6,965 11 4 6,973 0.2 1989 6,921 17 3 6,935 0.3 1990 6,927 21 3 6,945 0.3 1991 6,903 37 3 6,938 0.5 1992 6,980 67 3 7,044 1.0 1993 7,008 54 3 7,059 0.8 1994 6,966 68 4 7,029 1.0 1995 7,128 89 5 7,212 1.2 1996 7,041 68 5 7,104 1.0 1997 6,955 63 6 7,013 0.9 1998 6,942 56 10 6,988 0.8 1Production includes liquid drinking milk manufactured in the UK by dairy companies and farms for retail sale. It is not possible to identify separately the products for which imported raw milk is used by dairy companies. It is therefore possible that a small proportion of liquid drinking milk produced in the United Kingdom is manufactured from such imported raw milk. 2 Overseas trade in liquid milk in immediate packings of a net content not exceeding two litres as shown in the Overseas Trade Statistics. Liquid milk in larger packings -is excluded as such trade could be for manufacturing use rather than for retail sale.