HC Deb 24 June 1953 vol 516 cc1889-90
26. Dr. Stross

asked the Minister of Food whether he has noted that the volume of milk sold in the liquid market has fallen in the year 1952–53 by 33 million gallons, while the total production has increased by 30 million gallons; why this fall in consumption has occurred; and what he proposes to do to offset this.

Major Lloyd George

The true decline is about 20 million gallons in England and Wales and represents a fall of less than 1½ per cent. This is too small to assign to any single reason but the improvement in the supplies of other foods is undoubtedly a contributory factor.

Dr. Stross

Has the Minister not noted the observations made last week, as reported in "The Times," by the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board, in which he described the fall as 2 per cent. and gave the figure that I have suggested; and that he went on to say that it is due to the sharp rise in retail prices? Will not the Minister consider what he is doing and see to it that people can afford to drink all the milk available for them in liquid form?

Major Lloyd George

We are doing so. As the hon. Gentleman knows, the consumption of liquid milk is 60 per cent. above what it was before the war. [HON. MEMBERS: "Hear, hear."] I do not know why hon. Gentlemen opposite should cheer that so much, it is not particularly due to them. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] The scheme started before the war and was developed during the war. The figure of the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board is 33 million, the same as that of the hon. Gentleman. I was giving the net figure, which, by omitting certain things, brings it down to 20 million. As far as the price of milk is concerned, I would remind the hon. Gentleman of what the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board also said, that it is obviously desirable that the price payable by the public for milk should, as soon as practicable, cover the real cost involved.

Dr. Stross

Surely the Minister does not accept the last part of those observations and will not take that type of advice? If he does, it means that we shall return to what we had under Tory Governments in the past, milk will be fed to pigs and poured down the drains and used for the manufacture of plastic umbrellas.

Major Lloyd George

I was not taking the advice of the chairman of the Milk Marketing Board. The hon. Gentleman quoted him and so I thought I had better quote him further.