§ Major Yorkasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (1) whether, in view of the fact that the depot retained in Nidderdale has been found by the Committee of Inquiry to be incapable of handling the milk supply of the area consigned to it by his Department, and that the inquiry has shown a very unsatisfactory state of affairs, he will reopen the depot at Darley in order that milk produced in this area may be properly distributed in a state fit for the liquid market;
(2) what advice his Department received, before the Committee of Inquiry was set up and from what source that advice came, as to the capabilities and efficiency of the milk depot at Birst-with;
(3) the opinion of the Committee of Inquiry as to the technical efficiency of the remaining milk depot in Nidderdale?
§ Mr. MabaneThe decision to divert supplies from the Darley depot to the Birstwith depot was taken by my Department in the light of a report obtained from its local milk supply and transport officers. The investigation to which my hon. Friend refers established that neither the 231W Darley depot nor the Birstwith depot was adequately equipped to handle milk for the liquid market and that if it was practicable to do so milk produced in the area should be delivered direct by road to the consuming centre without passing through a depot. The whole position has been accordingly reviewed in the light of this recommendation and I hope that a decision will be reached in the course of a few days.