§ Mr. Grieveasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food why there is no price limit on milk sold in cartons, as opposed to bottles; and what action he proposes.
§ Mr. BishopThe maximum retail prices laid down in the Milk (Great Britain) Order 1971, as amended, are applicable to milk sold in both bottles and cartons. When, however, non-returnable containers such as cartons are used for sales through shops, it has been the policy of successive Governments not to oppose the addition of a reasonable charge for the non-returnable package compared with the lower cost of returnable glass bottles on delivery rounds. A close watch is kept on such charges to ensure that they are not excessive, and the results of our latest investigations confirm that charges of up to 1p a pint can be justified. More than 90 per cent. of households in England and Wales do, however, have milk delivered to the doorstep at the basic controlled maximum retail price.