HC Deb 10 February 1944 vol 396 cc1902-3
50. Mr. E. P. Smith

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the breaks caused by holidays in the supply of milk in schools, he will consider issuing permits to parents enabling them to obtain this supply from their own milkman during these periods.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Mr. Mabane)

This matter has been given the most sympathetic consideration ever since the inception of the scheme before the war. The problems involved are, my hon. Friend will appreciate, considerably more complicated in war-time than in peace-time, and my right hon. Friend regrets he is unable to adopt my hon. Friend's suggestion.

Mr. Smith

In view of the bad effects of the break in regard to nutrition, is it not worth while to make every effort to overcome the administrative difficulties?

Mr. Mabane

My hon. Friend will appreciate that it was not possible to overcome the difficulties in the much easier conditions of peace-time.

Viscountess Astor

They did not try to overcome them in peace-time.

Mr. Mabane

We have tried to do so.