§ MR. HENNIKER HEATON (Canterbury)To ask the President of the Local Government Board if he has under consideration the question of issuing regulations affecting the use of preservatives in butter imported into the United Kingdom; and, seeing that Australia now exports to the United Kingdom butter to the value of over £3,000,000 sterling, and that all this butter is inspected before shipment by the Government and guaranteed to be pure and wholesome, will he give due notice to Australian producers and consider their views before making any changes in existing practice.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) As I have stated in reply to previous Questions, I am giving attention to the matter of preservatives in certain food stuffs, and I am collecting information on the subject. There is no immediate attention of issuing regulations with regard to preservatives in butter. Notice would be given before any such regulations, if found necessary, came into force; but it is not likely that they would interfere materially with the very large trade in butter with the British Colonies.