§ MR. BARRIE (Londonderry, N.)I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether the attention of the Department of Agriculture has been directed to the newspaper advertisements of a prominent firm maufacturing milk-blended butter, which advertisements contravene Clause 9, Sub-section 3, and Clause 10 of the Butter and Margarine Act, 1907; and what steps they propose to take for the protection of the public.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYNo advertisements in contravention of the law have been brought to our notice, but if the hon. Member would be good enough to supply us with any information in his possession on the subject, inquiry would be made, and proceedings instituted, if necessary.
§ MR. BARRIEIs it not the fact that an advertisement has appeared in practically all the leading papers of Great Britain clearly conveying to the public that they are buying a pure butter when they are really buying an article expressly forbidden to be called butter or by any name suggesting that it is connected with the dairy industry?
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will send me a copy of the paper.
§ MR. BARRIEI beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether the Department for Agriculture will reconsider the names already sanctioned to secure that in purchasing milk-blended butter, containing 24 per cent. of water, the public may be sufficiently protected.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThe Board see no necessity for the reconsideration of the names which they have approved for use in connection with milk-blended butter. None of them are suggestive of butter or anything connected with the dairy interest, and it does not appear to the Board that their use is calculated to mislead buyers of the articles to which they refer.
§ MR. O'SHAUGHNESSY (Limerick, W.)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that this article is allowed to contain 24 per cent. of moisture, or 8 per cent. more than is permitted in butter on the understanding it shall not be called by any name similar to butter? And does not the sale of "Pearksown" by Pearks & Co. mislead—
§ *MR. SPEAKEROrder, order. That is the Question the hon. Member asked the other day.
§ *MR. BYLES (Salford, N.)Is not the object of the legislation an invention of fancy names to deceive the public and make them think they are not buying milk-blended butter?
§ [No Answer was returned.]
§ MR. BARRIEI beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, what is the approved wording on the wrappers used in the sale of milk-blended butter describing its character and showing the percentage of water it contains, as required under the Butter and Margarine Act, 1907, Clause 9, Sub-section 1.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThe description, which the Board have approved, is as follows—"This is a mixture of butter and milk, and it contains nearly 24 per cent. of water, which is about 8 per cent. (about 1¼ oz. in every pound) in excess of the 16 per cent. (about 2½ oz.) allowed in butter."