asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will confer with the President of the Board of Education with a view to the continuance and extension of demonstrations in schools of the advantages of fresh whole milk as compared with the tinned fatless substitutes which are being imported in increasing quantities?

I have been asked to reply to this question. With the aid of a grant from the Empire Marketing Fund certain investigations into the food value of fresh milk have been carried out in schools under the auspices of the Scottish Board of Health. These investigations, which yielded results of considerable interest, have now been brought to a satisfactory conclusion and it is not proposed to continue them, but steps will be taken to bring the results to the notice of the public.

Would not what is good for Scotland be good for England? Would it not be possible to have similar tests in this country?

I think the investigation has produced results equally applicable to England and Scotland, and the only question now is to get the public to consume more milk.

Is not that on the assumption that the Scottish child is of the same milk-consuming capacity as the English child?

I should think it reacts to milk in the same way.

Viscountess ASTOR:

Does the right hon. Gentleman not think that, if the Minister of Agriculture had advertised milk as assiduously as he has stout, if would probably be more drunk?

asked the Minister of Agriculture if, in view of the high food value of new milk of home production, arrangements have now been made for the continuation of the milk-publicity campaign with the encouragement of the Empire Marketing Board?

As at present advised the Empire Marketing Board do not propose to continue the publicity campaign which was undertaken last year in favour of liquid milk.

Will the right hon. Gentleman inform the House why this very valuable campaign is not being continued, as it was apparently producing excellent results in increasing the consumption of liquid milk?

I am sorry to say that the support of the interests affected has not been sufficient.

Will the Empire Marketing Board take steps to bring the value of this campaign to the further notice of the distributors and farmers?

I think we took every step and we looked forward eagerly to getting continued support which would have justified our continuance of the campaign.

Is it the National Farmers' Union that is failing to assist in this campaign?