§ 16. Sir EDMUND TURTONasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that by the Milk and Dairies Act, 1915, all Regulations and Orders made by the Ministry under that Act must be laid upon the Table of both Houses of Parliament for 40 clays, and that the recent Order in reference to milk and butter was only laid for 20 days, being therefore ultra vires and invalid; and whether, in view of these circumstances, he proposes to make and lay a fresh Order, or what other steps he intends to take?
§ Mr. N. CHAMBERLAINI am advised that the Milk and Dairies Order, 1926, is neither ultra wires nor invalid. The Order was laid before both Houses of Parliament in pursuance of section 6 of the Milk and Dairies (Amendment) Act, 1922. There may be some doubt whether that Section or Sub-section (5) of Section 1 of the Milk and Dairies (Consolidation) Act, 1915, is the governing enactment, but in either case the limits imposed (in the later Act, 20 days, and in the earlier Act, 40 days), relate not to the period during which the Order is to be laid, as to which the Statutes are silent., but to the time within which an Address may be presented to His Majesty.
§ Sir E. TURTONIn view of that answer, and as there is great uncertainty 1358 throughout the country regarding this matter, may I ask if the right hon. Gentleman is prepared to send out to all sanitary authorities an explanatory memorandum dealing fully with this question?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINyes, Sir. I have that matter under consideration.
Brigadier-General BROWNHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention beer drawn to the fact that there has been placed on the Table in another place a protest against this Order?
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe must not interfere with another place.
§ 34. Brigadier-General CLIFTON BROWNasked the Minister of Health, in view of the fact that milk brought from Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the isle of Man does not come under either the Public Health (Imported Milk) Regulations or the Milk and Dairies Order, what steps are to be taken by the Ministry to protect the public against contaminated milk from these sources?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINIt has not hitherto been considered necessary to treat consignments of food from the British Islands in the same way as food imported from overseas, but I have the whole question under further consideration.
Brigadier-General BROWNDoes not my right hon. Friend think it is very hard on the British producer if he has all these regulations to comply with, while we can import from these islands without any of these regulations?
§ Mr. CHAMBERLAINThat is a question which I have under consideration.