§ Brigadier-General CLIFTON BROWNasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to a recent Report of the Ministry of Health, which stated inter alia that several samples of condensed and dried milk were reported against as deficient in fat, and the analysis in one case indicated that the article sold as dried milk consisted of soya bean, cane sugar, milk sugar, and a vegetable oil; what action has been taken in the matter; and in what countries were these articles produced?
§ Sir K. WOODThe Report in question is the Annual Report of the Ministry of Health for 1926–27. In the particular case mentioned, the vendor was prosecuted and fined. Deficiency of fat was found in 26 of the 1,310 samples of condensed and dried milks taken by local authorities. In three of the cases the vendor was prosecuted and fined, and in other cases warnings were given. My right hon. Friend has no information as to the country of origin of the samples taken.
§ Mr. LAMBasked the Minister of Health if he will publish a statement giving the statutory requirements, so far as they are administered by his Department, governing the production and manufacture of milk in this country, together with the State health and pensions insurance contributions payable by producers and manufacturers of milk in parallel columns with the corresponding statutory obligations existing in all countries from which condensed skimmed milk is imported into Great Britain, showing, in each case, the measures taken to enforce such statutory requirements?
§ Sir K. WOOD95 per cent. of the condensed skimmed milk imported into this country comes from Holland and Denmark. My right hon. Friend has given directions for the publication of the reports of the inquiries which he recently instituted into the conditions of the production and manufacture of condensed milk in these two countries, so far as they affect public health, including particulars of the relative statutory provisions and administrative arrangements1194W in those countries. I do not think that these particulars could conveniently be arranged in parallel columns with the corresponding particulars for this country. The weekly contributions compulsorily payable by employers in this country in respect of health and pensions insurance are 9d. for male employés and 7d. for female employés. I understand that in Denmark there is not at present a compulsory scheme of sickness and pensions insurance. In Holland, in addition to a voluntary scheme of sickness insurance, there is a compulsory State scheme of invalidity and pensions insurance under which the contributions payable by employers vary from 5d. to Is. a week in accordance with the wages of the employés.