My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

My Lords, the Council of Ministers has now adopted a permanent scheme providing for distribution of free food from intervention stocks. A 1988 financial ceiling of £69 million for the Community as a whole will limit the quantities distributed. The Government are now considering the implications in close consultation with the main charitable organisations.

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that Answer. I am glad that he is already discussing the matter with the charitable organisations. He may recall that last year the distribution was improvised, and although the charitable organisations did a magnificent job they earned a good deal of opprobrium because it was not perfect. On this occasion, will the noble Lord associate the local authorities with the distribution? They were excluded from the distribution last year, but they have the best list of needy people through their social services departments. Many of them would be willing to help, especially if there were some financial help with the cost of distribution.

My Lords, this is one of the points we are considering, but we should need to be clear that it was an appropriate task for them. One change this time compared with last time is that charities and others will be able to recoup administrative costs and have them reimbursed up to 1 per cent. of the value of those products which are distributed.

My Lords, this may seem a small practical point, but is the Minister aware that one of the difficulties during the previous distribution of this ancient butter was that it came in bulk packs and not in domestic quantities? This made practical and fair distribution more difficult.

My Lords, so far as I am aware, the butter to which the noble Lord, Lord Sainsbury, referred was made available to charitable organisations in bulk from intervention stores and after repacking was distributed by them in retail-size packs.

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware of the feeling in the country that it is better to distribute some of the food in this way than to give it to Russia and other places cheaply? I am glad the Minister has taken up the point. Is he aware of the report in the Guardian—I am sorry that the Government are sometimes not keen on reports in the Guardian—that the Minister is still considering the scheme? Have the Government definitely accepted the scheme for this year? If so, will it not be much cheaper, because the EC will be prepared to pay for transport and distribution to distribution points in this country'? Would that not make cheaper the work of charities and councils, if indeed councils take up the work?

My Lords, we are considering the implications of the free food regulation now that the Council has adopted it. We will need to establish that there is a scheme which is workable in United Kingdom conditions. We are in close contact with the main charities. We will consult more broadly as appropriate before any distributions take place.

My Lords, is there any possibility of dispatching urgently some of the surpluses to Ethiopia and Mozambique?

My Lords, I feel that that question is slightly wide of the one on the Order Paper.

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that the criticisms of the organisation on the last occasion were harsh and well justified? Can he give the House an assurance that on this occasion there will be a co-ordinated plan and that the Government themselves will take responsibility for it? Is he aware that I do not blame the charities, which are many and which do their best in the circumstances, because they are not competent to arrange a distribution of this kind? Can he say who in the Government is responsible for this scheme?

My Lords, in order to avoid any criticism in the future and to ensure that any plans that are laid are well laid, we are considering very seriously the implications and are consulting broadly to ensure that anything that is done is done properly.

My Lords, with respect, the noble Lord has not replied to my question. Can he say who in the Government is responsible? Is it his right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and was he responsible on the last occasion? Somebody must take responsibility. Will he tell the House who that person is?

My Lords, I am unable to inform the noble Lord the Leader of the Opposition who was responsible last time, and so I shall have to write him a letter on the subject.

My Lords, with all due respect to the noble Lord, I submit that my supplementary question was quite in line with the Question on the Order Paper. As this is a matter of urgency, I think it deserves a better answer.

My Lords, I shall write to the noble Lord.

My Lords, the noble Lord is always emphasising that the Government are considering the implications. Have the Government accepted the scheme or not?

My Lords, we are considering the implications of the free food regulation now that the Council has adopted it.