asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why, in the light of the views expressed by the National Farmers' Union and the Milk Marketing Board that risks to human health from the sale of untreated milk from brucellosis accredited herds are minimal, he is pressing forward with the ban on the sale of untreated milk from 1980.
I am aware of the opinions that have been expressed by the union and the board. On the other hand, medical and public health interests have expressed concern about the risks to consumers of contracting salmonellosis or other milk-borne diseases through drink-
| Latest estimate of outturn 1977–78† £ million | Actual outturn 1976–77 £ million | |||||||||
| I. PRICE GUARANTEES* | ||||||||||
| Sheep | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 0·4 | 0·2 |
| Wool | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | -2·2 | -2·4 |
| Potatoes | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 5·6 | 0·8 | |
| Total I | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 3·8 | -1·4 | |
| II. OTHER GRANTS AND SUBSIDIES | ||||||||||
| Temporary pig subsidy | … | … | … | … | … | 10·6 | 6·3 | |||
| Milk non-marketing premiums | … | … | … | … | 12·0 | — | ||||
| Dairy herd conversion scheme | … | … | … | … | 5·7 | 4·4 | ||||
| Guidance premiums for beef and sheepmeat | … | … | 7·8 | 2·2 | ||||||
| Lime | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 0·1 | 4·6 |
| Calves | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 24·0 | 26·1 |
| Beef cows | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 3·2 | 10·5 | |
| Farm and Horticulture Development Scheme and farm accounts grants | … | 18·0 | 3·7 | |||||||
| Farm structure | … | … | … | … | … | … | 1·3 | 1·4 | ||
| Farm capital grant scheme | … | … | … | … | … | 61·6 | 61·6 | |||
| Co-operation grants | … | … | … | … | … | … | 1·0 | 0·8 | ||
| Grants for horticulture (national schemes) | … | … | 2·8 | 2·6 | ||||||
| Hill livestock compensatory allowances‡ | … | … | … | 50·4 | 82·7 | |||||
| Brucellosis eradication incentives | … | … | … | … | 12·0 | 17·2 | ||||
| Others | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 1·4 | 1·6 | |
| Total II | … | … | … | … | … | … | … | 211·9 | 225·7 | |
| Grand Total | … | … | … | … | … | 215·7 | 224·3 | |||
| * Expenditure under the milk guarantee arrangements is estimated at £227·6 million in 1976–77 and £134·4 million in 1977–78. This expenditure is attributed to food subsidies. | ||||||||||
| † Some of this expenditure attracts contributions from the European Guidance and Guarantee Fund. These are mainly received in the following year. In 1977–78, £29·3 million is expected to be received from the Fund as compared with £11·6 million in 1976–77. | ||||||||||
| ‡ Some unavoidable delay in payments of hill livestock compensatory allowances in 1975–76 resulted in a carry-over of £16·4 million into 1976–77. | ||||||||||
ing untreatetd milk. As I told the hon. Member in the reply which I gave him on 26th October 1977.—[Vol. 936, c. 837–8]—all the interests concerned will be given a further opportunity to state their views before any regulations are prepared.