asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the price of liquid milk.

The Government have decided that the maximum retail prices for liquid milk should be increased on 17 February 1980. From that date, the maximum price of ordinary pasteurised milk will be increased by 1½p per pint to 16½p. The maximum price of most other types of milk will also be increased by 1½p per pint, but that for sterilised milk will be increased by 2p per pint. These increases have been made necessary by increased costs of wages, production, processing and distribution.In order to reflect the increases in the maximum retail prices, maximum wholesale prices will be increased on 1 February 1980 to the following levels:

	p per litre
England and Wales (except London)	15·144
London	14·915
Scotland	15·101
Northern Ireland(except Belfast)	15·817
Belfast	15·726

Maximum wholesale prices for the summer months of 1980 will be reviewed nearer the time: the normal pattern has been for these prices to fall during the summer, when production costs are also lower. Decisions will take account of the conclusions the Goverment reach, after full consultation with all the interests concerned, on the report by the independent firm of accountants which is currently examining the distributive costings system.Orders to give effect to the new maximum prices will be laid before Parliament in due course.