§ 10. Mr. Palmerasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Food Hygiene Regulations which have recently come into force make refrigeration a virtual necessity for healthy catering; that the present hire-purchase restrictions and high rate of Purchase Tax on refrigerators constitute a strain on the resources of smaller hotels and boarding houses; and what steps are being taken to remedy this situation.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Health (Miss Patricia Hornsby-Smith)Refrigeration is not specifically required by the Regulations, though artificially cooled storage may in some circumstances be desirable or necessary. The questions of hire-purchase restrictions and Purchase Tax are matters for my right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, respectively.
§ Mr. PalmerIs the hon. Lady aware that this country has fewer refrigerators installed per head of the population than almost any other country in Western Europe, and should not financial and health policy be directed towards encouraging the use of refrigerators?