§ 50. Lieut.-Colonel Sir Thomas Mooreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of his desire that there should be an early extension of the system of Empire commodity councils to ensure better co-operation between home and Dominion producers, he will arrange for early consideration to be given to the establishment of such a council to deal with the marketing of milk products in this country; and whether, to assist to that end, he will take the necessary action to bring into being the Milk Products Marketing Scheme, which has been before his Department for a considerable period?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI would refer my hon. Friend to the replies I gave on 9th February to my hon. Friend the Member for Stourbridge (Mr. R. Morgan) and to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Lewes (Rear-Admiral Beamish). With regard to the first part of the question, I would add that a conference has now been called representative of all the chief suppliers of milk products to the United Kingdom market, to discuss the general situation and measures that can be taken to restore stability to the market.
§ 57. Captain P. Macdonaldasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the fact that one of the principal difficulties lying in the way of expanding the consumption of liquid milk in this country is the unwillingness of the medical profession to co-operate until arrangements have been made to ensure a milk supply that is bacteriologically pure or pasteurised, he will consider the desirability of calling an early conference with representatives of the medical profession to ascertain on what basis it is possible to obtain co-operation in this matter?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithMy right hon. Friend the Minister of Health recently received a deputation from the British Medical Association, the Society of Medical Officers of Health and the Joint Tuberculosis Council, who laid before him their views on the necessity for pasteurisation. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries was present, and I will confer with my right hon. Friend as to the prospects of useful results being achieved by such a conference as my hon. and gallant Friend suggests.
§ Mrs. TateIs my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that pasteurisation kills not only the vitamins but the hormones in milk, and will he do nothing to discourage that pernicious practice?
§ Captain P. MacdonaldIs the Minister aware that the attitude of many of these local authorities and medical officers of health is influenced by the fact that they get no lead from the Ministry of Health in this matter, and will he confer with the Minister of Health in order to see that some definite lead is given and no dog-in-the-manger attitude is adopted towards the question of pasteurisation?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI realise that there is more than one opinion on this question, and I will have a consultation with my hon. and gallant Friend on the matter.