HC Deb 25 May 1939 vol 347 cc2528-9W
Sir C. Cayzer

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, since the consulted person when recently requested by the Central Milk Distributive Committee and the Milk Marketing Board to settle certain questions with regard to the price of milk for manufacturing purposes announced that it was premature to give any decision in view of the fact that an arrangement is expected to be reached at an early date for the effective control of supplies and prices of processed milks, he can now state whether such an arrangement is to be concluded before the end of June; and, if not, whether arrangements will be made for the questions submitted to the consulted person to be reconsidered?

Mr. Stanley

As was stated on 4th May, in reply to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for The Wrekin (Colonel Baldwin-Webb), negotiations have been in progress with the various overseas supplying countries with a view to a general arrangement for the regulation of imports of processed milk. These negotiations are not in all cases complete, but I expect to be in a position to make an Order regulating imports under Section 1 of the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1933, very shortly. Any such Order will come into force as soon thereafter as the administrative arrangements can be completed. I may mention that during recent months imports of most of these products have been on a lower level than last year.