§ Lieut.-Colonel Macnamaraasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will consider altering the milk rationing system, so that persons be rationed and not a reduction made on the basis of the former household consumption, as the poorer housewives in ordinary times only take in the minimum supply necessary for their households, whilst the wealthier have been able always to purchase a very much larger margin than their actual needs?
Major Lloyd GeorgeMy Noble Friend is not satisfied that the introduction of-a scheme for the rationing of milk would, in practice, prove more satisfactory than the present method of restricting supplies on the basis of previous consumption. With a view to preventing hardship in the 449W case of the small consumer my Noble Friend has given instructions that no reduction shall be made in the case of households taking one pint or less of milk per day. Furthermore, as already announced, no reduction is made in the case of milk supplied free or at a reduced rate to mothers and infants under the National Milk Scheme or to children under the Milk-in-Schools Scheme. I propose to make a statement on this subject in the course of the Debate on the distribution of foodstuffs.