HC Deb 08 February 1956 vol 548 cc1686-7
Mr. Hannan

I beg to move, in page 15, line 16, after "cream," to insert "or butter."

I would say right away that this is a new point which has been put to me subsequent to our discussions in Committee, and I recognise that this is a technical Clause. I put the broad point first. It has been said to me that in making cream substitutes the ordinary housewife occasionally resorts to the use of butter which she whips up, perhaps adding water, and in that way reconstitutes cream. If that is done in the home, what objection can there be to the small baker carrying out a similar process?

Subsection (1) indicates what cannot be sold as cream substitute, and subsection (3) defines what reconstituted cream is. The object of the Amendment is to ensure that butter can be used for reconstituting cream. It may be that the Government will answer that butter contains a dye called annatto, which gives the yellow colouring to butter, and that because of that possibly butter should be excluded; but there is no illegal process in the matter. If this may be done in the home why should it not be done by the small baker who wants to use butter?

Mr. G. M. Thomson

I beg formally to second the Amendment.

The Solicitor-General for Scotland

Perhaps it will shorten the discussion if I say straight away that this is a reasonable and sensible Amendment which I advise hon. Members to accept. The Clause as drafted permits reconstituted cream to contain any ingredient which may be lawfully contained in real cream; but as reconstituted cream is frequently made from butter, it is proper that we should introduce a reference to the ingredients of butter as well. The Amendment will make it clear that reconstituted cream may lawfully contain any ingredient which may lawfully be contained in butter.

Mr. Hannan

I should like to thank the Solicitor-General and the Government for considering this matter at such short notice. I am sure that the decision will give satisfaction. I confess that I was in doubt whether this was the proper place in the Bill for the Amendment, but my guess was right.

Amendment agreed to.