15. Mr. I. O. Thomasasked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the circumstances connected with the pouring away to waste down a disused coal mine at Tunley, near Bath, by the Wiltshire United Dairies, of thousands of gallons of skimmed milk; and if he will take steps to prevent this waste of a valuable food, and arrange for its proper use as such in future.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAll but a small proportion of the skim milk produced during the flush period is dried or condensed or fed to animals. At the height of the flush, however, more of this highly perishable product may on occasion arise at some points of production than can be disposed of economically by processing or by feeding on farms. I am confident that the Milk Marketing Board and the manufacturers are fully alive to the problem and are doing all they can to meet it.
Mr. ThomasWould the Minister answer in greater detail, and so enlighten the House, the Question put to him, whether he was aware of the circumstances in connection with the pouring away to waste of this milk? Can he indicate if this is a widespread practice, and whether it is correct that there has been a survey of disused mines by the Milk Marketing Board to make sure that there is sufficient space available in which to pour away all this milk?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI have read the hon. Gentleman's Question again and I fail to find in it any of these things he has just mentioned. He asked me to answer the Question, and I think I have done so. The problem of skim milk disposal has been with us for many years.
§ Mr. H. RhodesAnd getting sour.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe factories are working to full capacity. It may interest the hon. Gentleman to know that the waste this year is about half what it was in 1950.
Mr. ThomasI again put the Question to the Minister, whether he was aware of the practice of throwing away this skim milk into disused mines, and whether such practice has his consent.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe hon. Gentleman knows that the only answer I can give is that this is a problem that has faced successive Governments for many, many years. [Interruption.] It is no good hon. Gentlemen opposite making noises. They did worse than we about the problem. All the available manufacturing capacity is in full use at this time of the year, and there is a proportion of the milk that cannot be consumed. That is the problem, but it lasts only for a short period of the year.
§ Mr. BaldwinWhile appreciating that these surpluses will arise, may I ask my right hon. and gallant Friend to consider that instead of their being poured down mines they should be sold to local farmers for the production of bacon.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThat is being done at the moment, but owing to the location of some of these places it is not always an economic proposition to take the surpluses to all the farmers. How-ever, an enormous amount of skim milk goes to animals at the present time.
Mr. ThomasI give notice that, in view of the very unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply to this Question, I propose to raise the matter on the Adjournment at the first opportunity.