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173
Circular letters issued by the Ministry of Health on the
30th March, 1928 and the 6th June, 1928, suggesting additional
limiting conditions in regard to this service, were carefully
considered by the Council. A deduction of £142 was made by
the Minister from the estimate submitted by the Council. The
second letter made it clear that, although the adoption of these
conditions was optional on the part of the Council, only the
reduced estimate would rank for grant. The Council decided
not to adopt the new conditions, which were as follows:—
(1) Milk should be supplied by the Council at less than
cost price solely on medical grounds, and should not
be supplied to applicants who are already in receipt
of Poor Law Relief. Applicants whose circumstances
are such that they can only be dealt with adequately
through the machinery of the Poor Law should be
referred to the Guardians.
(2) Every applicant for milk should be seen, in the first
instance, by the Medical Officer of Health or the
medical officer of a centre, and no application for
milk should be considered by the Council, or the
appropriate Committee of the Council, unless the
medical officer furnishes a certificate that a supply is
essential on grounds of health. Such a certificate
should be given only in those cases in which the
Medical Officer is satisfied that the health of the
mother or child will suffer unless a supply of milk is
provided by the Council.
(3) The scale of income adopted by the Council for the
supply of milk at less than cost price should be revised
in order to bring it into accord with the fall in
the index figure of the cost of living since the scale
was framed.