§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what comparative assessment he has made of investment in modernisation of the milk processing industry in the United Kingdom and(a) other EU Member States and (b) other countries which export milk products to the United Kingdom; [78194]
(2) what analysis he has made of the effect of vertical integration on the competitiveness of milk production and milk processing in the United Kingdom milk and milk products industry in relation to (a) other EU Member States and (b) other nations which export milk products to the United Kingdom; [78196]
(3) what analysis he has made of the competitiveness of the United Kingdom milk and milk products industry in relation to (a) national industries in each of the EU Member States and (b) other nationally-structured milk and milk product industries. [78199]
§ Mr. RookerThe Department has not undertaken any such detailed comparative analysis.
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§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what projections he has made of the growth or decline of the United Kingdom milk and milk products industry over the next(a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years. [78198]
§ Mr. RookerThe size of the United Kingdom milk and milk products industry is constrained by milk quotas. In the period up to 2006 the output of the UK milk and milk products industry can be expected to increase in line with the increases in the UK milk quota agreed as part of the Agenda 2000 reforms of the Common Agricultural Policy. In the longer term, the size of the UK milk and milk products industry will depend on the decisions of the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers as to the shape of the EU dairy regime beyond 2006.
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which countries exported(a) milk and (b) processed milk products to the United Kingdom in each year from 1995 to date; and what was the value of the imports from each country in each year. [78201]
§ Mr. RookerThe available information is shown in the following table.
UK imports of (a) milk and (b) processed milk products 1995–98 £ million 1995 1996 1997 1998 Milk and cream Irish Republic 35.0 26.6 27.2 21.2 France 11.6 12.1 12.3 11.8 Denmark 0.5 0.8 11.5 18.0 Germany 7.6 7.3 4.7 4.8 Belgium-Luxembourg 10.6 4.5 4.3 3.6 Italy 1.4 0.7 0.9 0.7 Netherlands 0.1 0.4 1.0 1.2 Others 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.0 Imports of milk and cream 66.8 52.5 62.0 61.3 Processed milk products Irish Republic 277.3 338.8 279.5 297.7 France 169,.8 196.7 217.2 204.3 New Zealand 139.4 125.7 93.9 104.4 Germany 103.3 111.0 110.7 91.0 Denmark 77.2 81.1 84.5 83.3 Belgium-Luxembourg 67.0 80.1 76.8 63.2 Netherlands 63.7 63.7 54.2 57.3 Italy 45.1 47.7 51.0 53.4 Canada 15.3 20.3 20.0 19.4 Australia 8.2 12.2 12.1 11.8 Spain 7.3 6.8 6.7 16.1 Switzerland 8.0 8.1 7.6 9.0 Greece 7.3 6.0 5.4 6.8 Austria 6.7 3.5 2.8 1.7 U.S.A. 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.4 Sweden 1.2 3.3 3.6 3.0 Others 7.0 8.2 7.3 7.2 Imports of processed milk products 1,006.9 1,116.4 1,036.2 1,033.0 Total imports of milk and processed milk products 1,073.7 1,168.9 1,098.3 1,094.3 Source:
HM Customs & Excise
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to which countries the United Kingdom has exported(a) milk and (b) processed milk 223W products in each year from 1995 to date; and what was the value of exports to each country in each year. [78200]
§ Mr. RookerThe available information is shown in the following table:
UK exports of (a) milk and (b) processed milk products 1995–98 £ million 1995 1996 1997 1998 Milk and cream Belgium-Luxembourg 43.5 62.5 55.2 56.3 France 41.7 40.0 24.9 23.7 Irish Republic 30.9 11.9 15.2 34.7 Germany 21.8 10.5 13.1 19.8 Netherlands 14.0 12.0 13.1 3.9 Others 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.5 Exports of milk and cream 155.9 140.8 125.3 141.9 Processed milk products Netherlands 170.9 97.3 67.7 74.7 France 93.1 89.5 82.4 81.2 Irish Republic 52.0 54.0 62.2 69.1 Belgium-Luxembourg 41.8 41.0 34.4 39.6 Germany 44.9 41.1 28.7 34.2 Spain 15.6 19.1 18.5 18.6 USA 11.6 20.9 10.5 13.3 Mexico 3.4 5.1 31.4 12.6 Denmark 10.5 10.4 16.0 9.4 Russia 1.4 1.7 27.6 8.8 Saudi Arabia 21.6 15.1 0.8 0.9 Brazil 7.4 4.8 11.4 14.8 Venezuela 3.7 8.0 8.4 12.0 Japan 17.4 8.3 3.1 2.4 Kuwait 9.3 7.7 6.8 6.4 Hong Kong 12.0 7.4 4.9 5.2 Italy 10.6 6.8 5.5 6.3 Others 112.8 133.4 181.3 150.9 Exports of processed milk products 640.1 571.7 601.6 560.5 Total exports of milk and processed milk products 795.9 712.5 726.9 702.4 Source:
HM Customs & Excise
§ Mr. ChidgeyTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the United Kingdom milk and milk products industry of the proposed enlargement of the European Union. [78197]
§ Mr. RookerEnlargement would afford the United Kingdom milk and milk products industry unrestricted access to the markets of those countries which accede to the European Union. Equally, as part of the single market, the milk processing industries of the acceding countries would have access to the markets of the existing EU member states.