asked the Minister of Food what profit or loss his Department made on imported Polish geese and what was the cost of cold storing these geese since they were purchased.

The loss made under the last contract made in May, 1949, was £119,594. This included about £25,600 cold storage charges, and the payment of £86,016 import duty to the Exchequer.

Does the Minister appreciate that many people find Polish geese inedible and that they do not like their geese stored for one year, as they are in this case?

Opinions seem to vary. I have heard quite different accounts of the quality of the geese.

asked the Minister of Food (1) what changes he proposes to make in the arrangements for distribution of home produced eggs in the United Kingdom;

(2) what plans he has in hand for improving the quality and freshness of shell eggs available for sale in the United Kingdom.

I am satisfied that by the present arrangements eggs get to the shops with the least avoidable delay; a fair average time between farm and shop is seven to nine days. May I remind the hon. Member that some months ago, in this House, my Parliamentary Secretary invited him to send any suggestions for improvement that he could make? That invitation is still open, but has not yet been accepted.

Can the right hon. Gentleman really pronounce himself satisfied with the fact that the total overhead charges of the Eggs Division of his Ministry and the National Egg Distributors' Association Ltd., are £1,371,000 this year and that the whole of that cost would be eliminated by allowing the egg traders to operate free from nationalised control?

The question about our overhead costs is an entirely separate one, but in recent discussions with the egg packers and egg producers, I found that they rather resent the constant implication of the hon. Member about the quality of their work.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether they also resent the suggested economy in public funds?

asked the Minister of Food whether he estimates that the supply of shell eggs will justify the sale on an unrationed basis at an early date.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware of the acute hardship which is now being caused to housewives by the combination of the 8d. meat ration and only two stale eggs per week? Is not the mishandling of our egg supplies just as reprehensible as the mishandling of our meat supplies?

We are discussing eggs, but I suppose that at the moment we must drag meat into everything. We are making plans with a view to permitting retailers to sell to anybody in the next flush season, as we did last year. As far as we can look ahead, it is fairly clear that we shall do it for at least as long a period as last year and possibly longer.

Will the right hon. Gentleman consider the necessity of extending the egg priority scheme for children between the ages of two and five? Owing to the cut in the meat ration, children between two and five are suffering considerably from this shortage. Up to the age of two children receive priority eggs, but they do not do so between two and five?

I should be glad to give an answer to that question if the hon. Gentleman will put it down.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I sent him abundant evidence of rotten eggs being distributed in the flush season last year and that his Parliamentary Secretary implored me to desist?

asked the Minister of Food the quantity of eggs received at collecting centres in England and Wales for the months of October, November and December, 1950, and for the same months in 1949.

asked the Minister of Food if he will give an assurance that no English shell eggs will be broken up for sale in liquid form until every opportunity has been given for the public to buy them as shell eggs.

May we take it that no second quality eggs will be broken down and sold in liquid form until the public have had an opportunity of buying all the second quality eggs they want in the shops?

That is a much more lucid way of expressing the answer to the Question.

What is a second quality egg?

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that unless fowl pest is stopped there will be no second quality eggs or first quality eggs either?

Do not let us be too alarmist. I agree that the outbreak of fowl pest has led to some concern about egg supplies next spring, but I am advised that it will not unduly lower supplies.

asked the Minister of Food how much dried egg imported from the United States of America during the last 12 months has been found to be unfit for human consumption; what percentage this is of the total; and to what use it has been put.

I am glad to tell the hon. Member that none of the dried egg was found, on arrival, to be unfit for human consumption. One small lot was later damaged by flooding of the store and was destroyed.

asked the Minister of Food if his consultations with experts on the long-term policy for meat supply include a review of the present system of marketing fat cattle and fat sheep in this country; and if he will make a statement.

The purpose of these consultations is to review the entire system of marketing and distribution of livestock and of both home-killed and imported meat. A statement will be made when the consultations have been completed and considered by the Government.

Will the right hon. Gentleman make sure that when these consultations take place they will take into account the importance of having the beasts slaughtered close to where they are marketed in order to avoid long railway journeys?

As the hon. and gallant Gentleman recognises, this is an immediate question. I am not at all satisfied with the present arrangements, including the one he has raised. We are doing our best to improve it. It is a different subject from the one in the Question.

Will the question of an autumn glut of British-produced meat be taken into account in the discussion? Surely it is an absurdity to have a glut in the middle of a meat shortage.

Yes, indeed, Sir. Last autumn we just got by with the slaughterhouse facilities that we had. We are now taking steps to make sure that we shall be able to handle the increase which we hope to get next autumn.

Is my right hon. Friend satisfied that there is proper supervision over the grading of meat in this country, and that there is no deliberate upgrading for the purposes of extracting higher prices?

I am not at all satisfied with our present grading system. There are serious defects in it, but every suggested improvement seems, on examination, to make the matter worse. The present grading system seems to be the best we can operate under the system of rationing.

Why were not proper steps taken to secure an adequate supply of slaughter-houses long ago? There were repeated warnings.

asked the Minister of Food what have been the results of his discussions with the repective trades on high fish and rabbit prices.

asked the Minister of Food whether he will make a statement on the imposition of price controls on rabbits following his conversations with the trade.

Although it is not yet possible to draw final conclusions of the effects of the recent heavy landings of fish, I am glad to say that the consumers are already getting some benefit from them. Many prices are still high—principally of quality fish which remain scarce, but the retail price of cod has fallen between 2d. and 3d. a 1b.—and in many cases to around the old controlled level. However, since the heavy landings began just over a week ago, I have been carrying out a detailed investigation to find out how far and how widely the retail prices reflect the substantial fall which took place in the price at the ports. That survey will take account of the price over last week-end and during this week, and I will base any further action on the evidence it produces.

As to rabbits—prices remain high, but there has been no marked general upward movement in the last two weeks. In some districts, indeed, there has been a fall in price. Supply remains short owing to reduced supplies from overseas suppliers, and continued unsuitable weather for home trapping. Even in the most favourable circumstances of good supply, as all experience has shown, it is very difficult— if not impossible—to impose an effective control over rabbit prices. In present conditions, it would, as I have already said, be an even more hazardous undertaking. A controlled price which went at all seriously below the price now prevailing, would stop all overseas supplies coming in (these account for about 50 per cent.), and thus drive the remainder into underground trading channels. In these circumstances, I should only be justified in taking the risks of imposing controls if, (a) present prices went any higher; and (b) if any considerable increase in supplies failed to effect a reasonable reduction in present prices.

If his survey of fish prices is not satisfactory in the near future, will my right hon. Friend consider imposing price control on fish?

I thought that that was the implication of my answer.

Can my right hon. Friend say how long he is prepared to wait in the case of rabbits? Could he explain the connection between the price charged at home and the imported price? I think he said that if he imposed price control at home he would prevent rabbits being imported. Can he say why?

I can give no time table for rabbits. I have given an indication that during this week I hope to be able to take a decision, one way or the other, about the price control on fish.

Is the Minister aware of the high cost of catching rabbits, that at least 50 per cent. of the value of first sale goes to the catcher, and that if a sale price is imposed the next step will be the gassing of rabbits and then the consumers will not have the benefit of rabbits at all?

Is my right hon. Friend aware that it is just now when meat is so short, that the high price of fish causes the greatest amount of hardship and difficulty to the housewife? Could he not reimpose controls, at any rate temporarily, pending improvement in the landings of fish?

I cannot add to what I have said about this. I am aware of the unfortunate concatenation of circumstances which has brought about a high price in fish at a bad season for fishing, when we have a shortage of meat. That is one of the embarrassments of the Minister of Food. But I am quite satisfied, on the most careful examination, that it would have been imprudent to have acted in any other way about the control on fish.

Is not the short answer to all this to hurry up and get some more meat, instead of forcing people to buy expensive alternatives?

That is the short answer, but not at any price.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the high prices and scarcity of rabbits, he will now consider further arrangements for supplies from Australia to assist in connection with the small meat ration.

Rabbits may be imported freely from Australia by private traders under open general licence. I assume the hon. Member is not suggesting that my Department should re-enter the trade.

In view of the fact that the right hon. Gentleman has been so pleasant to me on Question 41. I will not burden him further on this one.

asked the Minister of Food what were the considerations on which His Majesty's Government based their conclusion, stated in Command Paper No. 8125, that the cost of the proposed scheme for a modified Overseas Food Corporation in East Africa would not differ widely from that entailed by the abolition of the Corporation.

This conclusion was based on a comparison between the estimated cost of the plan accepted by the Government and the best estimate which the Corporation could make of the heavy liability which they would have had to meet for breach of contract and other commitments if the scheme had been closed.

Can the right hon. Gentleman add to that answer, because a great part of the justification of the new Government proposals in regard to the groundnuts scheme can only turn on whether it is true that it would cost as much to clear out as to stay on? The answer given by the right hon. Gentleman is wholly inadequate and causes the gravest doubts as to the wisdom of the next step.

I recognise the truth of that submission. There is a debate tomorrow and I propose to give rather more detailed information then.

If there is any value in Parliamentary debates, should we not have the knowledge now, to allow the House to take a more sensible view when the discussion arises?

This is Question Time and I should be rebuked by you, Mr. Speaker, if I were to give a long, detailed, involved answer now.

asked the Minister of Food when he will be in a position to supply any interim details regarding the liquidation of the groundnut scheme in Tanganyika.

There will be an opportunity to discuss these matters in tomorrow's debate, but if the hon. Member will let me know any specific information he wants I will do my best to see that he gets it.

Will the Minister answer the point of the Question, which is about the supply of interim details of the liquidation? I did not want any information about tomorrow's debate. I wanted the information about liquidation.

That is the subject of tomorrow's debate, and it would require me to occupy the time of the House much longer than is available now.

With respect, does the Minister realise that in tomorrow's debate all these details will go underground and that we shall know nothing about them? That is why I am asking for this specific information.

asked the Minister of Food whether any further expenditure of money is contemplated with regard to the cultivation of groundnuts, sunflower seeds and similar products in Tanganyika; and if he will give details.

I would refer the hon. Member to the White Paper published on 9th January.

Does not the Minister agree that that is the answer which I thought I should get and that it does not relieve him of answering my Question today. There is no reason why I should have to wait until tomorrow.

The answer to the Question has been given. All these details are in the White Paper.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity and value of equipment has been sold by the Overseas Food Corporation to the Government of Tanganyika.

The disposal of its surplus equipment is a matter for which the Corporation is responsible, and the hon. Member's inquiry is now being considered by its officers.

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that the charges for carriage of milk in bottles have been so increased by Messrs. MacBrayne Limited, that in the Inverness area the public has to pay an additional 2d. per pint bottle and 3d. per quart bottle; and what steps he proposes to take to relieve this serious addition to the cost of living in this area.

I am not aware of any increases of this kind, but if the noble Lord will let me have details I will have them examined to see if there are any steps which I have the power to take.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that these increases are real, and will he also bear in mind that this is just another example of how high transport charges bear on the cost of living in the Highlands? Could he have a talk with his right hon. Friend the Minister of Transport to see whether they cannot do something to ease this burden?

I am not sure what power I have over a company of this kind which, as the noble Lord knows, is a semi-independent, private company. If I could have details of the particular matters which he has in mind I would like to investigate them to see if I have any power to correct them.

asked the Minister of Food if he is satisfied that hotels and other establishments accommodating visitors to this country for the Festival of Britain will be able to obtain adequate supplies of food.

They will get their share, and I hope they will consider it reasonable.

In advertising the many attractions in this country to people in foreign countries, will the Minister make it quite clear that they are not misled in thinking that there will be an abundance of food for them here when they come?

I hope, equally, that they will not be misled by suggestions that the people of this country are starving. That is quite untrue. It is a gross distortion of the facts. The food supplies of this country in the last 12 months have been better than they have been for 10 or 12 years.

asked the Minister of Food how much mutton was found unfit for human consumption in a consignment supplied to Manchester at the beginning of February, 1951; what percentage of the total consignment was so found unfit and how long the meat so found unfit had been in store.

None, Sir.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that 878 sheep in this consignment could not be sold until the bad bits had been cut off, and that in the case of 389 of them they were found to be covered with green and slimy mould and were then sent to sausage manufacturers?

There was indeed a complaint. We get complaints every week—that is normal. It is not a matter that is confined to the public operation of meat supplies; it has gone on right throughout time. This particular question was settled amicably between the butchers' representatives and my Ministry's local officers.

Can the right hon. Gentleman say, in connection with this amicable settlement between the butchers and the representatives of the Ministry of Food, how much of that consignment of meat had to be cut off and wasted and at what price the butchers got the remainder?

If that question is put down I shall be glad to answer it.

However amicable the settlement may have been, what steps is the Minister taking to prevent further waste of meat?

Can the right hon. Gentleman give some assurance that meat which is, according to my hon. Friend, slimy with mould is not sent to sausage manufacturers?

That is a quite inaccurate and misleading suggestion. The control over the quality of meat is not in the hands of my Department at all. It is in the hands of the officers of local authorities, who themselves test the quality of meat and who never allow any bad meat to pass into general circulation. They are most stringent in their tests, and I assure hon. Members that they need have no anxiety on that score.

asked the Minister of Food why he refuses to disclose the price paid for food bought by his Department from overseas even when the sellers have revealed it.

It is generally not in the public interest to disclose prices currently being paid by my Department for purchases from overseas. The disclosure of this information may sometimes prejudice negotiations with different sources of supply; but I have never refused information about past prices unless it was clear that it would prejudice trading operations. Where sellers reveal prices currently being paid, I must reserve freedom to take whatever action is in our best interests. The information given by the sellers may be incomplete or misleading and may often have been put out in the hope of drawing official comment.

If the seller gives the correct price, what is the point of denying it? Surely the trade in general knows the correct price?

"If the seller gives the correct price" is, surely, hypothetical.

Does it not become necessary, when the Government are engaged in Government trading, to suppress all criticism because they cannot stand up to it?

asked the Minister of Food how many carcases of meat were recently imported from Australia to Southampton; and how many were resold to France at a profit of about £1 a carcase.

My Department have not recently imported Australian meat via Southampton, neither have they sold any to France. Perhaps the hon. Member can let me know what grounds he may have for his belief that there have been such transactions.

asked the Minister of Food, having regard to the fact that his estimated supplies of meat for the present year per head of the population are 80 per cent. of the pre-war supply, and the ration is less than one-third of the pre-war average consumption, what is happening to the balance of the supply.

The hon. Member provides the answer in his own Question, when he refers to estimated supplies of meat for the present year. It would be misleading to compare yearly figures with the ration level at any particular period—such as the present difficult time. Meat supplies are seasonal; for example, we are now getting very little of the home-killed meat which made up a much larger ration last autumn and will, I hope, do so again this year.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that those figures are calculations based on the unchallenged statements made by himself and his right hon. Friend in the recent debate?

They are very unfortunate calculations.

Is there any arithmetical error? If so, what?

Is it not possible that the solution may lie in the fact that a lot of people who now eat meat never had it before the war?

A lot of people have been born since then.

Is it true that we are now to lose the Webb sausage?

asked the Minister of Food if he has any information as to the average age of the animals used for the meat for which his Department is paying £177 per ton in France; and to what extent he has had complaints from meat traders about its quality.

I cannot say what was the average age of these animals, none of which went to meat traders in the domestic trade. I can say, however, that several manufacturers have commented favourably upon the quality of the meat.

I could not hear the earlier part of the right hon. Gentleman's answer. Did he say that this meat went to butchers, or did not go?

It did not go.

Will the right hon. Gentleman agree that it is fantastic to pay £177 per ton for meat 25 per cent. of which consisted of old bulls just destroyed in France?

If we are to have irrelevant facts, I might give an equally irrelevant fact, namely, that the Argentine offered to sell meat to Brazil at £76 per ton.

asked the Minister of Food what was the average price per ton of imports of beef and veal, other than corned, sold on the ration during the year 1950; and what was the average price per ton of imports of canned beef and veal and other descriptions of beef and veal not sold as rationed meat during the year 1950.

As the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Will the Minister reconsider his policy of encouraging the importation of luxury meat, which housewives cannot afford, and his obstinacy over the importation of rationed meat, which they want so badly?

That is a most interesting supplementary question. If it is now the considered policy of the Opposition to restrict private trade in bringing in supplements to our food rations, I would like to have more details.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the argument of the majority of hon. Members of the House is that the trade should be returned to private enterprise?

All the Question asked was about the average price and not about the meat trade generally.

asked the Minister of Food how much he has earned as real profit from the British tinned meat sent to Canada, the United States of America and the Argentine.

My Department does not profit from these sales as they are made by private traders, but dollar earnings from Canada and the United States of America during the past year were about 250,000 dollars. I repeat, once again, that there are no sales to the Argentine.

If, as the Minister has admitted, we are so short of meat, does he not think that it is the acme of bad judgment to let any meat go out of the country at present in this way?

That really means depriving a very important exporting section of private traders of what they regard as an important element in keeping in contact with their overseas markets. On this side of the House we do not want to prevent private enterprise from having legitimate opportunities of doing good business.

Will the Minister say how far he intends to carry out this policy? Does he intend to sell all the meat so that we have none?

asked the Minister of Food if, having regard to the 10 per cent. increase in world meat supplies, he is satisfied that the United Kingdom is obtaining at least its pre-war proportion of exportable surpluses.

Yes, Sir. According to the latest estimates published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation the United Kingdom received 74 per cent. of the world's exports of meat in 1950, the same percentage as before the war. The hon. Member will bear in mind that the population of the world has increased as well as its supply of food.

I take it that the answer is "Yes"—that the Minister is satisfied that we are getting our full proportion.

We are getting the same proportion as before the war, but in view of the increase in our own population we should like to have a larger proportion.

asked the Minister of Food the quantities, respectively, of pastes, soups, Dutch brisling, tomato ketchup and salad cream he has purchased since 1st January, 1950; how much remains on hand; how much remains unsold or in the hands of retailers; how much has been destroyed as unfit for human consumption; and what has been the loss to the taxpayer on these transactions.

My Department have bought no pastes, no soups, no tomato ketchup, nor any salad cream. About 840 tons of Dutch canned brisling was bought in 1949, part of which was imported in 1950. Rather more than half this quantity is still held by my Department. I cannot say how much, if any, remains with retailers. As far as I am aware, only about one hundredweight has been destroyed as unfit for human consumption. As sales have not yet been completed, I cannot say what the financial outcome will be.

Is the Minister not aware that home-caught brisling is both better in quality and cheaper in price? Why does he continue to waste our money in importing Dutch brisling?

That has nothing to do with this Question.

asked the Minister of Food the total annual cost in expenses of the 581 enforcement officers employed by his Department.

About £73,500.

When will the Government realise that they must either abandon their disastrous policy or assume a dictatorship? That is the only outcome.

While we have to maintain rationing policies, we must have proper enforcement.

Snooping.

Can my right hon. Friend say what is the cost of the officers of his Department who are involved in investigating transactions that exist only in the imagination of the hon. Member for Orpington (Sir W. Smithers)?

asked the Minister of Food what poultry it is intended to import, either directly through his Department or through private traders, during the months of March and April from countries where fowl pest is endemic.

My Department are not importing poultry from any source. Private traders are free to import poultry on open general licence from France and Belgium and on block licence from Poland, but I have no knowledge of the quantities likely to be imported during March and April. There are no imports of poultry from Hungary at present. I should emphasise that all these imports are subject to stringent safeguards, approved by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Is it not a fact that these safeguards have not so far prevented outbreaks of fowl pest in this country as a result of these imports? Bearing in mind that an arrangement has been made whereby America does not import birds which are infested with fowl pest, why not stop forthwith imports from Continental countries also?

My hon. Friend ought to know that on all the evidence so far available it seems to me that the present outbreak of fowl pest arose not from any of these sources of imports, but from American sources of imports.

Is any poultry at present being imported from the United States in any shape or form?

Not for direct sale to consumers.

Has not my right hon. Friend read the answer which his right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture gave to a Question on this very subject last Thursday, namely, that imports from Continental countries are proved beyond doubt to be a source of infestation?

I am in close contact with my right hon. Friend on this matter, but we have to balance two very conflicting and very difficult considerations. The need for imports of poultry is very real. As far as the risk of fowl pest is concerned, my right hon. Friend and I agreed to carry out certain quite stringent regulations, and I am quite prepared to cooperate with him even if it means, in the end, some sacrifice of our imports in order to protect the interests of our own producers.

Is poultry still being imported from the U.S.A. direct to American troops serving in this country?

That question ought to be put to some other Minister.

asked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the now plentiful supplies of milk, he will consider granting an extra cheese ration to small holders and farmers continuously engaged in manual work on their own farms.

I am sorry that our supplies do not permit us to do this. The reason for supplying extra cheese to farm workers is that they often cannot get home for a meal as a farmer or smallholder can. I could not, in any case, spare the cheese. After fully using our own productive capacity I still have to buy a lot of cheese for dollars to maintain the present ration.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are many small farmers and smallholders doing very hard manual work and making a great contribution to our production who also cannot get home for an extra meal and who, even if they could get home, would not have more than an 8d. meat ration or the small amount of cheese ration as protein food to eat? Will he do his utmost to take advantage of the increased milk supplies and alleviate their position?

I am very well aware of the difficulty of that section of the community, but they are not the only section with some claim to extra supplies. The problem is that once we begin to have these specialised extensions of the ration scheme one does not know where to draw the line. The real solution is in the need generally to increase the basic ration, which is our aim and purpose.

asked the Minister of Food how much barley and other coarse grains offered at sterling prices he has declined to buy in the past three months.

It is impossible to say. The same grain is sometimes offered simultaneously by different sellers and sometimes more than once by the same seller. I do not always, as a measure of elementary commercial prudence, accept the first offer.

How does it happen, if ordinary business shrewdness is used, that the right hon. Gentleman's Ministry failed to buy barley from Iraq last month at £32 10s. and bought this month at £35, the original barley having gone to Holland?

If the hon. Member would like details of that I would like it to be put down as a Question.

Can my right hon. Friend say in what Government publication all these details of his Department's sales are published, so that we can all be aware of them?

asked the Minister of Food if he will ensure that dried fruit imported into this country will be delivered to bakers in a clean condition.

Every effort is made, both in conditions of contract and local inspection by our own trained officers, to ensure that only clean dried fruit is shipped to this country. We are not yet, however, back to pre-war standards, partly because much cleaning plant in some producing countries is in need of repair or replacement, partly because of a shortage of water-proof paper and other suitable materials used when the fruit is dried. In existing circumstances it is bound to take some time before these difficulties can be fully overcome, but I am most anxious to do all I can to improve the situation, which, I fully admit, is far from satisfactory.

Has the right hon. Gentleman had any other representations on this matter? Would he confirm that it is not from Empire countries that we get the dirty fruit, but rather from foreign countries?

The reply to the latter part of that question is that that is quite true. I have had representations, including representations from the trade, and we are doing our best to try to help them.

Did I understand the right hon. Gentleman to say that we are not back yet to pre-war standards?

Yes.

Then they were better than they are now?

Yes.

asked the Minister of Food what quantity of hand-picked homegrown peas of the 1949 crop he still holds unsold; what quantity of the New Zealand and Tasmanian blue peas of the 1948 and 1949 crops, respectively, he still holds unsold; what allowance he is now offering to buyers in respect of peas released in London and consigned to the Liverpool or Glasgow port areas; and what is the amount he pays British Railways for the carriage of the said peas from London to Liverpool.

About 5,000 tons bought to implement the guarantee to home growers, and about half this quantity of New Zealand peas. No allowance is being offered to buyers in respect of peas released in London and sent elsewhere. The peas are being sold on the basis that the buyer pays transport from the store and the last part of the Question does not therefore, arise.

asked the Minister of Food whether, with a view to offsetting the small meat ration, he will now consider increasing the sugar ration by eight ounces per person per week.

The sugar ration has recently been increased from 8 oz. to 10 oz. a week as from 1st January. In addition there will be some sugar bonuses, details of which are being given today in reply to a written Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mrs. Mann). These improvements are as much as we can make this year and, I think, will be generally appreciated as an adequate contribution, in the light of our general supply problems, to the food supplies of the nation.

May we have the detailed part of the right hon. Gentleman's answer to his hon. Friend the Member for Coatbridge and Airdrie (Mrs. Mann)?

It is not my fault. If an hon. Member opposite had been present to put a Question which he had addressed to me, the figures would have been given earlier. The details were in my reply to a previous Question. There will be six bonuses this year in addition to the increased ration.

Could the right hon. Gentleman oblige the House by giving us the figures which may, by mischance, not have been given earlier? There is no guarantee that the hon. Member may not have been delayed by some trains having been taken off.

I have just given the figure; it is six bonuses this year, beginning in April, [HON. MEMBERS: "How much?"] The usual bonus of one pound per month.

Would the right hon. Gentleman consider allowing people who are willing to forgo their sweet ration to buy sugar instead?

Is it not really possible to do more in the case of this vital necessity? If sugar is not in world short supply surely the Government can do something practical today?

We cannot do more this year. I should have thought that any reasonable person, taking account of our dollar difficulties, would have thought that this was not, on the whole, an unacceptable addition to our food supply.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the production of sugar beet last year reached a record level? Why should that not have the effect of increasing the sugar ration?

I am well aware of that fact, and we are all delighted about it. It is one of the factors that have enabled us to make these increases.