Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent representations she has received on changes in the price of milk and its effect on milk producers.

Dairy UK wrote to the Secretary of State recently requesting a meeting to further discuss the global dairy market situation and its impacts on domestic farmgate milk prices. The Secretary of State and I will be meeting Dairy UK and milk processors later this month.

I have also discussed this issue with farmers and their representatives and discussed the issue with Alex Ferguson ahead of publication of his review into the voluntary dairy supply chain code.

Defra has received a small number of letters from farmers and others on the subject of milk prices.