§ Sir D. Whiteasked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that by including nurse cows as cows in agricultural returns farmers raising stock are at a disadvantage compared with those who do not do so; that discretionary reserves are barely sufficient for milking stock, let alone nurse cows; and, in view of his stock breeding policy, whether he will reconsider the matter.
Mr. HudsonI am aware that milk producers who do not rear their own herd replacements may be relatively better off as regards that part of their allowance of purchased rations which is based on milk sales and the number of cows in the herd. Additional rations are, however, allowed in respect of milk fed to calves under one month old, and such rations, in common with all winter rations based on milk output, are independent of the discretionary reserves. The latter are limited because they represent the balance of supplies estimated to be available after ration scales have been fixed for priority classes of stock, including dairy herds, and some allocations have been made for pigs and poultry. Available supplies are, and will continue to be, used to the best advantage to implement the Government's livestock policy.