§ 13, 14 and 15. Sir G. Foxasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that the plastic industry of Great Britain, at the earliest possible opportunity, is able to do without raw material obtained from milk which might otherwise be used to improve the supply of food and feedingstuffs to the world; and whether he will undertake intensive research to enable the plastic industry to be able to do without raw materials obtained from milk;
(2) in view of the fact that no milk products suitable for human consumption are used in the manufacture of plastics, why such products are not available from home sources; and why it is necessary to import them from abroad;
(3) what expenditure has been incurred for the past two years in purchasing from the Argentine raw materials derived from milk for use by the plastics industry in this country.
§ Mr H. WilsonRennet casein is made from the residue of milk after the fats have been removed. In this country, this residue is used in the feeding of pigs. There were no imports of this material from Argentina in 1948 or 1949, our supplies coming mainly from New Zealand where, I understand, the industry has been established with the encouragement of the New Zealand Government. In the circumstances, I am not prepared to deny 281W the use of this material to industry here while other countries are prepared to supply it I have no doubt that in the plastics industry generally research is constantly going on into all kinds of usable material.