§ 53. Sir L. Lyleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the milk trade has expressed any view on the decision not to reduce individual milk supplies per day if the normal amount of supply is one pint or under; and, if so, whether he can state its nature?
Major Lloyd GeorgeMembers of the milk distributive trade have pointed out that the decision to exempt from the Milk Restriction Scheme households taking one pint or less of milk a day will result in a smaller saving of milk than had originally been anticipated. This was fully appreciated when the decision was taken to grant the concession which is designed to prevent hardship to small or poor consumers.
§ 56. Mr. Parkerasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will revise the Milk Rationing Scheme so as to provide one pint of milk for all children under 16 years of age and half a pint for all adults?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe present restriction scheme requires those consumers who are not in the priority categories to curtail their consumption by one-seventh as compared with the quantity purchased during the first week in March. Apart from this the scheme does not attempt to regulate liquid milk consumption. It would, however, be impossible to ration milk on the basis suggested by my hon. Friend as the quantity required to meet the suggestion ration, assuming that the whole of the ration was taken up, would be 50 per cent. in excess of the total milk production of the country at the period of the year when the milk output is at its lowest figure.
§ Sir Irving AlberyIs my hon. and gallant Friend aware that the present basis of rationing is very unfair and inequitable?