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40
PROVISION OF MILK FOR NECESSITOUS
MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.
This question was much under discussion during
the year, particularly in respect of the scale of income
limits regulating the eligibility of families for milk
grants. The Council had been pressed by the former
Minister of Health for several years to revise, in the
direction of greater stringency, the scale adopted in
1921. The Minister had also drastically limited the
expenditure on this service eligible for Maternity and
Child Welfare Grants. The scale having been eventually
revised on the lines proposed by the Ministry on
the 26th March, 1929, it was found that many necessitous
families were being deprived of milk. Further consideration
being given to the matter, the Council
subsequently asked the approval of the new Minister
of Health for a new scale which, with certain deductions
in calculating the nett income, wias at least as favourable
as the old scale. After some delay, this revised
scale was approved by the Minister and was immediately
put into operation.
With a large proportion of the population earning
a bare subsistence and that very precariously, difficulties
are naturally sometimes experienced in getting a full
and accurate statement of income in applications for
milk grants. Measures have been taken with a view
to preventing such misstatements as far as possible,
at the same time bearing in mind that our primary
concern in the matter is the welfare of the mother and
child.
In view of the various modifications which have
been made in the procedure since this was printed in
the Annual Report for 1924, the following precis of
the present practice is given : —
Milk is given in the following cases:—
(a) Expectant mothers during the last three
months of pregnancy.
(b) Nursing mothers.