HC Deb 26 March 1999 vol 328 cc453-4W
Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if interest payments will be made to the eligible milk producers in respect of their portion of the assets rights and liabilities which the Residuary Milk Marketing Board are currently holding. [77803]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 19 March 1999]: Any interest which accrues to the RMMB's funding and which is not needed for legal and other expenses will be paid to producers eligible for payments.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what are the outstanding disputes and obligations which have to be settled before the assets, rights and liabilities of the Residuary Milk Marketing Board can be distributed; [77801]

(2) when he expects the Residuary Milk Marketing Board to begin the distribution of the remaining surplus assets of the Milk Marketing Board to eligible milk producers. [77805]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 19 March 1999]: The RMMB's remaining tasks are to collect outstanding debts, to settle outstanding litigation and to dispose of outstanding claims against the Board. The Board recently announced its decision to proceed with making payments to producers of £10 million. Any remaining assets will be returned to producers once the outstanding responsibilities of the RMMB have been resolved.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assets, rights and liabilities the Residuary Milk Marketing Board has. [77804]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 19 March 1999]: At 30 September 1998, the RMMB's remaining assets totalled £32.4 million with £2.8 million, excluding interest, owned in damages from contract processors. There were no known outstanding liabilities. Potential liabilities depend on the outcome of the outstanding litigation.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what were the running costs of the Residuary Milk Marketing Board in the last year for which figures are available; and from what source they were funded. [77806]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 19 March 1999]: Withdrawals for administration costs shown in the RMMB's most recent six monthly reports totalled £935,000 for the 12-month period preceding 30 September 1998. Regulation 18(2) of the Milk Marketing Board (Residuary Functions) Regulations 1994 requires that any moneys required by the Board for the discharge of their functions be paid out of the general reserve fund.

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how he will determine which milk producers will be eligible to receive payments from the Residuary Milk Marketing Board. [77802]

Mr. Nick Brown

[holding answer 19 March 1999]: The criteria by which the RMMB will determine which milk producers will be eligible to receive payments is set out under the Milk Marketing Board (Residuary Functions) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/2759).