For Members' information, I have set up a small expert group of some of the best people in the milk producing and processing sectors. They are due to report shortly on the best options. The Commission has not formed a view yet. The quotas will be there until the year 2000. We have to look at this in the context of the next GATT round. Some of the options are: maintaining the status quo, letting the price come down and having a dairy cow premium as was done in relation to beef; having an A quota and a B quota; having no quota. The big advantage is that we could produce unlimited quantities, but it would be at the expense of price. It is reckoned the European subsidies on milk work out at about 40p a gallon. If we dismantle the structure and allow the cheapest dairy producers to produce unlimited amounts of milk, as happened in New Zealand and Australia, we have to weigh up whether we can produce milk cheaper than anyone else and how our markets would be affected. Given that people are paying such large sums to purchase or lease quotas, they should know what is going to happen well before the year 2000. My instinct is that there will probably be a transitional phase which the provision of A and B quotas would allow for. However, if there is a B quota the A quota price would drop.
I hope I have given the House a flavour of the permutations. We have not finalised our own position. However, I am getting the very best advice on it and hope to have a report within a matter of weeks.