Miss Wardasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state in which of the distressed areas milk is now sold to pregnant and nursing mothers and to preschool children, other than necessitous mothers and children, at less than the standard price; at what reduction in price that milk is sold; approximately how many people of each category in each area bought this cheap milk at the beginning of the experiment and are buying it at the present time; and what increase in consumption there has been since the experiment started?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonExperimental schemes for the supply of milk at cheap rates to expectant and nursing mothers and children under five years of age are now in operation in the Rhondda Valley, in Jarrow and in Walker-on-Tyne. The milk is sold at 1s. 4d. a gallon as compared with the normal price of 2s. or 2s. 4d. per gallon. The following figures show by categories for each area the numbers of participants when the schemes were started and on 17th July, 1937 (excluding persons in receipt of milk supplied by the local authorities under the Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1919):
3331WAs regards the last part of the question the following table shows the approximate average quantities of milk provided daily under the schemes when they were started and during the present month, respectively, but I understand that no figures are yet available to show what increase there may have been in the total consumption of milk in the areas concerned.
— Average Total Daily Consumption. During First Month. During July, 1937. Pints. Pints. Rhondda 1,227 4,923 Jarrow 114 1,095 Walker-on- Tyne. 263 1,289