Determination whether reduction in downward butterfat adjustment is required in relation to deliveries
25.—(1) After the end of each quota year, the Scottish Ministers shall make a determination of–
(a)the total volume of deliveries to purchasers; and
(b)the total volume of such deliveries after an adjustment for butterfat content in accordance with Article 10(1) of the Commission Regulation.
(2) The determination under paragraph (1) shall be made by reference to the summaries purchasers are required to submit to the Scottish Ministers for the purposes of Article 8(2) of the Commission Regulation.
(3) If for any quota year a purchaser has not submitted the summaries so required or is unable to provide such proof of the volume of milk delivered to that purchaser in that year as the Scottish Ministers may reasonably require for the purposes of these Regulations, the Scottish Ministers shall for the purposes of paragraph (1)–
(a)make their own determination of that volume of milk based on all the information available to them for the purposes of calculating any levy payable on deliveries made to that purchaser; and
(b)inform the purchaser of their determination.
(4) If the volume referred to in paragraph (1)(a) exceeds that referred to in paragraph (1)(b), the Scottish Ministers shall calculate the proportionate reduction required to be made in all downward butterfat adjustments that have previously been made in order to increase the volume referred to in paragraph (1)(b) so that it equals the volume referred to in paragraph (1)(a).
(5) If paragraph (4) applies, the Scottish Ministers shall–
(a)notify all purchasers that any downward butterfat adjustments made by them in the deliveries to them are reduced; and
(b)specify the reduction.
(6) If the volume referred to in paragraph (1)(b) equals or exceeds that referred to in paragraph (1)(a), the Scottish Ministers shall notify all purchasers that no such reduction need be made.
(7) In this regulation, “downward butterfat adjustment”, in relation to deliveries to a purchaser, means an adjustment of the volume of the deliveries for butterfat content that results in that volume being reduced for the purposes of the levy calculation in accordance with Article 10(2) of the Council Regulation.