Milk (Hansard, 7 November 2002)

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1), whether the subsidy from the European Union aims to provide free school milk for children aged up to(a) seven and (b) 11; [79225]
(2) if she will make a statement on the European subsidy to provide milk for all school children up the the age of 11; and how many education authorities in the UK take advantage of the European Union subsidy to provide school milk. [79223]

§ Mr. Morley
The EU subsidy is intended to encourage the consumption of milk by children by reducing the cost of its provision in schools. In the UK it may be claimed by those education authorities which choose to provide children up to the age of 11 with milk. In the UK there were, in the 2000–01 school year, 208 such claimants.

§ Mr. Lindsay Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1), what measures she has taken to encourage supermarket chains to increase the purchase of milk from dairy farmers; [79229]
(2) what recent discussions she has had with (a) dairy farmers and (b) representatives from supermarket chains regarding the price of milk; [79228]
(3) if she will make a statement on the decision by supermarket chains to increase the purchase price of milk from farmers by 2 pence a litre. [79227]

§ Mr. Morley
The prices charged by retailers, or those negotiated between farmers and purchasers, or between processors and retailers, are private commercial matters. Defra Ministers cannot and have not sought to get involved in price negotiations with farmers, retailers or processors, although the market situation in the diary sector is naturally an issue that does arise during discussions. Meetings of an informal dairy supply chain group, chaired by my noble friend Lord Whitty, have addressed the issue of supply volatility and its effect on farmgate milk prices and, at its last meeting in September, representatives from different parts of the supply chain reported their views on the recently announced price increases. The Governments welcomes any action that will assist the long term sustainability of the dairy sector.