Dairy Farming

I agree. As the hon. Gentleman said, it is the scale of those contracts rather than the principle itself. He mentioned dedicated contracts in the cheese industry. We have present not only the chair of the all- party group on dairy farmers, but the chair of the all-party group on cheese, my hon. Friend the Member for North Cornwall (Dan Rogerson), who has done a lot of work on promoting the cheese sector. Pembrokeshire, like Ceridigion, has many cheese producers who need support. It is in that spirit that the regulator is to be welcomed. I am glad that the Government have listened to our concerns. Organisations such as the Farmers' Union of Wales have been talking about a regulator for 10 years or more, and I am glad that it is now happening. I should also pay tribute to the hon. Member for Ynys Môn (Albert Owen) who, as co-sponsor of the grocery ombudsman Bill, will be pursuing the matter as well. I would welcome assurances from the Minister that the code of practice will be legally binding and that the ombudsman will be given powers to sanction supermarkets when they transgress. The issue of bovine TB is fundamental and needs to be addressed. It has been partially addressed, and I pay tribute to the Welsh Assembly Government for the brave, but immensely regrettable, decisions that they have taken. There have been difficulties recently with milk collections, and getting milk to processors. The dire weather we have had recently has forced some farmers to throw away their milk. Moreover, there has been concern over Milk Link's decision to ban the use of plastic roadside containers when tankers are unable to reach the farms. That has been a real issue across much of rural Wales. Some disruption was understandable, but surely we should do everything we can to ensure the distribution of milk. Steel storage tanks being required by Milk Link are not affordable for many farmers, who are already operating on very tight margins. They do not have the money to invest in any capital infrastructure. Lastly, let me turn to the point about healthy food. Like me, the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire has praised the Assembly Government for what they are trying to do on the cull. I am sure that he should also like to praise them for the initiative that they took on milk in schools. Reinstigating free milk in schools sends a powerful message to both parents and the sector about support. The Assembly Government may be in a stronger position to pursue that matter, but they have done it and done it well. The dairy sector is undeniably in a difficult position. None the less, there are a few glimmers of hope out there. Processors have shown that profits can be made in the dairy industry, and we now have a promise of a body that can at least assist in ensuring that those profits are fairly distributed. We now need action to make that a reality, so that the constant stream of people leaving the industry, with all the effects on the rural economy, can be halted.