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45
Supply of Milk under the Provisions of the
Maternity and Child Welfare Act, 1918.
Under the provisions of the Maternity and Child
Welfare Act, 1918, considerable quantities of milk, for
the most part dried milk, are supplied free or at less
than cost price to necessitous nursing and expectant
mothers and to children under three years of age.
During 1931 such grants were made in 407 cases, an
increase of 74 over the numbers for the previous year.
The Local Authority is required by the Regulations
of the Ministry of Health to ascertain that need
actually exists and a special Visitor visits in the homes
of applicants and reports on the home circumstances,
while the ordinary reports of the Health Visitors are
also available for reference. A special Milk SubCommittee
of the Maternity and Child Welfare Committee
meets every week to consider these reports.
It is interesting to note that, whereas the amount
of free milk given has increased during the last two
years, the quantity sold at cost price has gone down.
In addition to the milk supplied free or at a reduced
rate under the stringent conditions that have been
described, milk is also sold at cost-price in cases recommended
by the Medical Officers or Health Visitors.
During 1931, under this part of the scheme, 6,703 lbs.
of dried milk were supplied at a cost to the families
of £634 14s. 6d. as compared with 7,294 lbs. at a cost
of £672 13s. 8d. during the previous year.
The approximate cost of the milk granted free or
at less than cost-price during 1931 was :—
£
s.
d.
Dried Milk
411
9
2
Wet Milk
141
18
9
Total
£553
7
11