asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether adequate steps are being taken to prevent the acute shortage of milk which recently occurred in Manchester, as a result of which non-priority customers received very much less than their entitlement quantities; and whether he will continue arrangements for bringing additional supplies into the Manchester area from other regions?

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether adequate steps are being taken to ensure that non-priority consumers in Sheffield receive in the future a fair share of the supplies of milk which are available in the country, having in mind the fact that in the middle of November supplies were nothing like sufficient to meet the entitlement figure announced by the Ministry?

The normal seasonal decline in milk production took place more quickly in November than had been anticipated, and consequently the quantities of milk available for diversion in that period were insufficient to meet shortages which occurred in a number of areas in the middle of the month. The reduction in the maximum non-priority allowance to two pints on Sunday, 22nd November, has freed more milk for diversion and adequate supplies are now being sent to the deficiency areas. So far as I am aware, dairymen's requirements in Manchester and Sheffield are now being met.

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the greater advantages that large families enjoy in respect of food rationing, he will consider the possibility of providing a rather more generous supply of milk for very small families of one and two in the household?

My Noble Friend would not feel justified in providing extra supplies of milk for very small families, which could only be done by still further reducing the allowance to others.

In view of the fact that a high percentage of these very small families are the aged and widowed, will my hon. Friend consider the possibility of reducing a little the supplies to very large families in order to give a little extra to the very small families?

I am very sympathetic to the suggestion, but I do not think what my hon. and gallant Friend has suggested could be effectively done.