§ Mr. David Clarkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he is satisfied with his Department's publicity explaining the reasons why the supply of orange juice for young babies was withdrawn on 31st December, 1971; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. AlisonYes. In his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. John Hannam) on 16th December, 1970, my right hon. Friend referred to the withdrawal of welfare orange juice from the welfare foods service and the reasons for doing so. These reasons were repeated by the Chief Medical Officer of my Department in his annual report for 1970 published in October, 1971.
Local authorities, at whose clinics and distribution centres welfare orange juice was available, were notified in February, 1971, of the proposed withdrawal and their attention was drawn to my right hon. Friend's statement. In December, 1971, local authorities were reminded of the imminent withdrawal of orange juice and their attention was drawn to the availability of a leaflet for mothers describing the new vitamin A, D and C preparation for children which takes the place of both cod liver oil and orange juice.—[Vol. 808, c. 385–6.]