Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 15 April 1970.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the disparity between milk producers' prices in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Mr James Hoy
, Edinburgh Leith
It is estimated that the net average price received by wholesale producers in Northern Ireland in the year ending 31st March, 1970, was 4·9d. per gallon less than in England and Wales and about 6·2d. per gallon less than in the main Scottish marketing area.
I trust that the Minister will agree that this is a very serious situation? Would he agree that this is due partly to the low allocation of the standard quantity for milk in Northern Ireland?
Mr James Hoy
, Edinburgh Leith
The present scheme is much the same as that introduced by the hon. Member's right hon. Friends in 1954. As to the standard quantity, the Northern Ireland standard quantity is already generous. In 1969–70 it included all liquid sales plus reserves of 142 per cent. The corresponding reserve was 63 per cent. in Scotland and only 25 per cent. in England and Wales. So Northern Ireland does not do too badly.
