Agriculture: Dairy Industry

Lord Lea of Crondall Excerpts

Monday 26th July 2010 Lords Chamber

[Lord De Mauley]

I am grateful for that question, which brings us back to the issue of the ombudsman, whose duties will be precisely that. I agree very much with what the noble Lord says.

[Lord Lea of Crondall]

My Lords, is the Minister aware that, in the European Union, Britain is not atypical in subsidising each cow by £900 per annum? Is he further aware that in the two countries outside the EU that are much vaunted by Eurosceptics outside—that is, Switzerland and Norway—each cow is subsidised by £9,000 per annum?

[Lord De Mauley]

My Lords, I am not entirely sure what the question was, but we think that competitiveness is extremely important in this market.