Milk.

Oral Answers to Questions — Food Supplies. – in the House of Commons at on 1 May 1940.

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Photo of Mr Wilfrid Roberts Mr Wilfrid Roberts , Cumberland Northern

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food when the new order is to be made altering the price at which manufacturing milk is to be sold to manufacturers?

Photo of Mr Alan Lennox-Boyd Mr Alan Lennox-Boyd , Mid Bedfordshire

No order is necessary for this purpose and, generally speaking, the new prices for manufacturing milk came into operation on 1st April.

M. Roberts asked:

the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Maximum Milk Retail Price Order now in force enables distributors to charge the same price as they did during the last seven days in December; that this is causing many consumers in rural areas and towns of under 10,000 population to pay 1d. per quart more for their milk in February, March and April than they did last year; and when he intends to rectify this?

Photo of Mr Alan Lennox-Boyd Mr Alan Lennox-Boyd , Mid Bedfordshire

The Milk (Provisional Retail Prices) Order dated 8th February fixed maximum prices which did not over-ride customary practices or contractual obligations whereby reductions below those maxima should normally have taken place. A new Order is now being prepared and will be issued very shortly fixing as maximum prices for England and Wales the prices ruling on the corresponding date during the year 1939, and laying down specific prices for Scotland which, in fact, will be the prices which prevailed over the greater part of Scotland during the corresponding period of 1939.

Photo of Mr Wilfrid Roberts Mr Wilfrid Roberts , Cumberland Northern

Is the Minister aware that the Order of 2nd February does in fact allow for an increased price of a penny per quart in all country districts, and that the Minister of Food promised me two months ago that a new Order would be issued on 1st April to rectify that situation?

Photo of Mr Alan Lennox-Boyd Mr Alan Lennox-Boyd , Mid Bedfordshire

I am aware that the rather vague wording of the original Order has enabled some unscrupulous distributors to avoid the real intentions of the Order, but the new Order will, we hope, get over that difficulty.

Photo of Mr Wilfrid Roberts Mr Wilfrid Roberts , Cumberland Northern

When will this matter be rectified?