asked the Minister of Food whether having regard to the increasing number of queues outside shops all over the country due to the shortage of staffs, he will reconsider his present policy of only recommending releases from the Army under Class B in exceptional cases.

The policy for releases in Class B is an agreed policy applicable to all classes of cases and any departure from the common standard would endanger the general demobilisation scheme as a whole. Within these limits my right hon. Friend is doing all he can to meet the pressing needs of food distribution.