§ 50. Mr. Levyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, seeing that it is an achievement on the part of British science, he is in the position to give the name or names of the British scientist or scientists whose research over a period of time has made it possible to add vitamin B.1 to white bread on a large and popular scale?
§ Mr. BoothbyScientific research is international in character, and the synthesis and commercial production of vitamin B.1 owes much to the work of scientists in other countries. It is however to the credit of the British scientists who were consulted by the flour milling industry that they were the first to realise the possibility of an important contribution to the nutritional value of white bread being secured by the introduction of vitamin B.1 into white flour, and they conducted the extensive series of investigations required to test the technical methods and their commercial practicability.
§ Mr. LevyWhile thanking my hon. Friend for his reply, is it not only fair that the scientists who, in the final result, have enabled this policy to be achieved should have their names publicly announced so that they can get the credit?
§ Mr. BoothbyIt is always rather invidious to mention the names of scientists, because when that is done one always finds that there are others equally entitled to share in the credit.
§ Sir Francis FremantleWould it not be as well to wait until we see the results of this experiment?