§ 10. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the steps taken by the Council of Ministers to increase consumption of milk and milk products throughout the EEC.
§ Mr. John SilkinNo, Sir.
§ Mr. McNair-WilsonMay I ask the Minister about the EEC school milk scheme and why he has not made it mandatory? Is he aware that many county councils are refusing to join the scheme, apparently because they see it as an open-ended agreement, and that as they do not know how many authorities are joining they do not know how much rate support grant will be given to cover it? Is he aware that the Berkshire county council has estimated that the overheads for the scheme will be 25 per cent. of its total cost in the county, although the Ministry allows in its advice only 4 per cent. to cover those costs?
§ Mr. SilkinI am very interested in the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question. I doubt whether he took quite that line of argument when the right hon. Lady the Leader of the Opposition was busy taking the milk away in 1970. If I may say so, his duty is not to tell the House what should be done but to tell his own county council of Berkshire—and while he is about it he might deal with Redbridge, Solihull, Hertfordshire, Hampshire, Kent, Northamptonshire, Salop and Surrey.
§ Mr. SilkinThat, in effect, is what free school milk means.
§ Mr. WigginOn a point of order—
§ Mr. SpeakerWill the hon. Gentleman wait till after Prime Minister's Questions?
§ Mr. WigginMy point of order, Mr. Speaker, is in relation to all the answers 779 that we have so far received, and in view of their totally unsatisfactory nature I give notice that I intend to seek leave to raise the matter on the Adjournment.