§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Lambeth Borough Council have asked to be relieved of their duties as food and drugs authority under the Food and Drugs Act, 1938, in so far as national bread and national wheatmeal are concerned in consequence of the persistent refusal of the Ministry of Food to furnish a specification of national bread requiring a standard indicating maximum fibre content minimum vitamin B1 content and minimum oil content in the absence of which the council finds it impossible to state a legal case before a court; and whether he will amend the specification accordingly?
§ Mr. MabaneI am not aware of the circumstances mentioned by my hon. Friend. The answer to the last part of the Question is in the negative.
§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what arrangements are in existence for testing whether the flour as it comes from the mill is in accord with the specification laid down in S.R. & O. 451, 1942; whether testing is carried out by officers independent of the milling industry; what punitive measures are taken when the flour is found not to comply with the 1421W specification; whether any definite proportion of the wheat germ is required to be incorporated in bread sold as national bread; and what is the average proportion of germ actually supplied?
§ Mr. MabaneWith reference to the first and second parts of my hon. Friend's Question, detailed particulars of the weekly production of flour mills in the United Kingdom are checked by my Department to ensure that 85 per cent. extraction is being obtained in the milling of national flour. In addition, samples of national flour are drawn by mill inspectors employed by my Department on all visits to mills. These samples, which are drawn from bulk stocks, are sent to the laboratories of the Research Association of British Flour Millers at St. Albans which, for the period of the war, are being used by my Department, and where examination of flour and bread samples is made by one of the Ministry's scientific advisers. In so far as the third part of the Question is concerned, noncompliance with the specification would be an offence against the Defence (General) Regulations and as such punishable by imprisonment or fine or both. In the event of any infringement, the usual enforcement procedure would be applied. In so far as the fourth and fifth parts of the Question are concerned, I would refer my hon. Friend to the definition of national wheatmeal contained in S.R. & O. No. 451, 1942. The average proportion of germ in national bread cannot be stated precisely but it is the maximum having regard to the technical considerations involved.