§ Mr. Eldon Griffithsasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what advice she has received on the relativities of milk and orange juice as aids to good health; and on what basis milk has received extra subsidies which orange juice has not.
§ Mr. MaclennanI have been advised that milk and orange juice are not comparable in nutritional terms. Milk is rich in nearly all the nutrients required for good health, and is an especially good source of energy, protein, calcium and riboflavin. Orange juice is a valuable source of Vitamin C, but in the United Kingdom diet this nutrient, although often obtained from citrus fruits, is chiefly obtained from potatoes. Nutritional value is only one of the considerations influencing the selection of foods for subsidy action, and milk was chosen mainly because it is a basic food accounting for a significant part of the weekly food expenditure of most households.