Robert Sillars. (0560197))
ANOTHER attempt to resolve the milk dispute should be made next week.
Commerce and Employment has come under fire during the last two States meetings for its handling of the situation.
The main sticking point over its attempts to license retailers has been over whether they should be given exclusivity over delivering milk by-products to shops and supermarkets.
Deputy department minister Robert Sillars said it was continuing negotiations with the Guernsey Milk Retailers’ Association and hoped they could meet again next week.
‘There is a gulf in one area that we seem to be unable to agree on,’ he said. ‘That’s really why we feel the correct way is to come back to the States and let it decide the way forward. The GMRA is aware of that. We hope we can conciliate this amicably. We feel we can’t go on like this and need to bring it to a conclusion.’
He said the department did not believe it was appropriate for the milk retailers to have exclusivity on delivering by-products to retail outlets.
Deputy Mary Lowe placed a successful amendment to Commerce and Employment’s original proposals on the delivery issue last year saying the existing system should be retained.
‘The Law Officers have told us that, to comply with the amendment, exclusivity was not what they had in the past so they shouldn’t now,’ said Deputy Sillars.
If the department was unable to resolve the issue, it would go to the States asking if the retailers should be given exclusivity or not.
‘We’ve had several meetings already, which I’ve chaired. Each time we get more understanding but we aren’t able to agree on exclusivity on the retail. We have offered it on doorstep this time around, but they felt they had that already.’
Milk by-products account for about 8% of what is produced.
‘It’s not huge in one sense, but it’s fundamental in another. Part of it is about stopping others bringing in products from outside the island.’
Article posted on 7th August, 2008 - 2.29pm
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