Viscountess Astorasked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he is aware that in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, in some of the more isolated places, children are getting totally inadequate supplies of milk owing to the custom of crofters and others to calve their cows in spring: and whether, in order to remedy this, he will offer a subsidy for each cow in these districts that is calved m autumn or winter?
Mr. JohnstonI am aware of the practice in the Highlands and Islands of arranging for cows to calve in the spring months of the year. This is dictated by the very limited amount of forage and keep which could be provided to carry both the cow and her calf during the long winter. I am advised that no subsidy on a cow basis would get over this difficulty of short supply of forage and keep. In the areas in question there are special arrangements under the National Milk Scheme for the supply of dried milk to expectant mothers and children, and my Noble Friend the Minister of Food has also made arrangements for the supply of additional quantities of condensed milk for consumers generally in those areas.