Food Act 1984

44 Milk processing facilities

(1) The Minister may—

(a) install, maintain and operate apparatus for the subjection of milk to any process to which it is required to be subjected as a condition of the use of a special designation in connection with it, and

(b) provide any other facilities for that purpose,

in any case in which it appears to him as respects—

(i) any area which is a specified area, or

(ii) an area as to which the Ministers propose to make an order bringing section 40(1) into operation,

that facilities for the application of such treatment sufficient to provide for supplies of milk of that designation in that area in requisite quantities are not available and are not likely otherwise to become available.

(2) Where the Minister provides facilities under this section—

(a) he may either buy the milk to be treated and re-sell it, otherwise than by retail or to a caterer for the purposes of his business as such, after treatment; or

(b) apply the treatment to milk of others.

(3) The Minister may arrange with local authorities or other persons for the doing, on his behalf and at his expense, of things which he is authorised by this section to do, and it shall be within the powers of local authorities to carry out arrangements so made.

(4) Section 47 applies for the interpretation of this section; and in this section " local authority " means a local authority within the meaning of the [1972 c. 70.] Local Government Act 1972.