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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the effect on consumer demand of increases in the price of milk.

The National Statistics publication, Family Food 2011, presents estimates of how demand for different types of food (including dairy products) varies with changing food prices and different levels of total expenditure on food.

These estimates are known as price elasticities and are based on Family Food Survey data from 2001 to 2011. The report notes that foods where demand is less sensitive to changes in price are fish and ‘dairy and eggs’. On average, those paying a one per cent higher price buy 0.4 per cent less.

A copy of the report has been placed in the Library of the House.