The allocation of milk quota from the national reserve is granted on the basis of recommendations from the milk quota appeals tribunal. The tribunal is a body established to consider and advise on applications for additional quota from individual producers who have suffered severe hardship in the context of the milk quota system. The named person has submitted an application for additional quota on the grounds of hardship. However, the amount of quota available for allocation at any given time is limited in the context of the large number of applications submitted. There is insufficient quota available for the remainder of the current milk quota year to enable the tribunal to recommend any further allocations and, unfortunately, it will not be possible to make an allocation to the named person in the current year. A letter has recently issued to him, outlining the above position.
The person named may apply to the tribunal in the 2003-04 milk quota year when the application forms become available. The forms will be available in the autumn from his milk purchaser or from the milk policy division of my Department.