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Food Supplies

Volume 485: debated on Wednesday 7 March 1951

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Oilseeds (Processing Costs)

51.

asked the Minister of Food what is the difference per ton between the highest and lowest prices charged by individual firms for the processing of oilseeds; and on what basis he decides which firms to employ.

There is no difference in the rates paid by the Ministry to firms doing the same work, since a standard rate of payment for each process carried out on each variety of oilseed is fixed every six months. We arrange our processing programme so as to keep down transport and distribution costs both for oilseeds and oils and for the finished products.

How can the Minister say that there is no difference in the prices paid to different firms when the Comptroller and Auditor General remarked on this in his Report and said how unsatisfactory it was? Will he please look again at the Report and give the House a better answer?

I have seen the Report, and it would repay the hon. Gentleman to look at it again, because he might then not be so confused.

Margarine Production

52.

asked the Minister of Food if he will make a statement with regard to the discussions with the accountants from the margarine industry on the subject of increasing the incentive to economical production and the weeding out of the least efficient units.

These discussions are still going on, but I understand that the industry's accountants now consider that, under present conditions, there would be great practical difficulties in operating an incentive scheme on the lines originally proposed.

The Minister says that the position is now more satisfactory. What is the length of time between his "now" and the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, who was not satisfied when he made it?

I did not say that anything was more satisfactory. I said that discussions were still proceeding.

Prisoners (Meat Ration)

53.

asked the Minister of Food the retail value of the weekly meat ration supplied to prisoners in His Majesty's gaols.

Supplies to prisons are at the same rate per head as the ordinary ration.

Can the hon. Gentleman say how the ration authorised today compares with the quantities supplied in 1939? Would he agree that in those days more meat was available to prisoners in His Majesty's gaols than to the general public today?

Festival Of Britain (Supplies)

57.

asked the Minister of Food to what extent the present shortage of food is due to stockpiling for the Festival of Britain.

No food is being stockpiled for the Festival of Britain; and it is misleading to talk about a general shortage of food in this country.

If a large number of visitors come from overseas to the Festival of Britain, will not everybody in this country go very hungry?

I think we should be careful about this matter. We are welcoming these visitors and the House should know—it has previously been pointed out—that less than one-tenth per cent. of the ration requirements of the United Kingdom for the Festival period will be required for every million visitors for every week they stay.

That may be true, but is it really desirable to advertise in American newspapers that food here is plentiful when everybody knows that that is not true?

Will my hon. Friend arrange to have published in the American newspapers copies of some of the London hotel menus—

—so that the American people can see that there is plenty of food in this country for visitors?

If the hon. Gentleman is right in saying that there is no shortage of food in this country, will he be kind enough to divulge the whereabouts of the meat?

Was not the Parliamentary Secretary's statement the biggest howler made in this Parliament?

Russian Tinned Goods

58.

asked the Minister of Food what tinned foodstuffs, and in what quantities, are expected from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a result of the decision to export tin-plate to that country in the first quarter of 1951.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Angus, South (Captain Duncan), on Monday, 5th March, 1951.

But as the 1,800 tons of tinplate which we exported to Russia was sufficient to can about twice the amount of food that Russia is sending to us, why are we not getting more food from Russia in exchange for this valuable tinplate, and more important food than Russian crab meat and salmon?

Perhaps the hon. Gentleman is overlooking the fact that we are receiving 800,000 tons of coarse grain from Russia.

Stocks (Dispersal)

59.

asked the Minister of Food what steps are being taken for the protection and safeguard of food supplies in the event of heavy aerial attack.

Our defence measures include very comprehensive plans for the dispersal of our food stocks and prevention of damage by fire or other destructive action but obviously, as I am sure the hon. and gallant Gentleman will agree, it would not be in the public interest to publish any details of these plans.

Are any of the arrangements which are being made being circulated to local authorities, who are beginning to get interested in this matter?

Would the Minister not agree that possibly he could place all that stock in his own back garden?

Division No. 54.]

AYES

[3.31 p.m.

Acland, Sir RichardCooper, G. (Middlesbrough, W.)Grey, C. F.
Albu, A. HCorbet, Mrs. F. K. (Peckham)Griffiths, D. (Rother Valley)
Allen, A. C. (Bosworth)Cove, W. G.Griffiths, Rt. Hon. J. (Llanelly)
Allen, Scholefield (Crewe)Craddock, George (Bradford, S.)Griffiths, W. D. (Exchange)
Anderson, A. (Motherwell)Crawley, Grimond, J.
Anderson, F. (Whitehaven)Crosland, C. A. RGunter, R. J.
Awbery, S. S.Cullen, Mrs. A.Haire, John E. (Wycombe)
Ayles, W. H.Daines, P.Hale, J. (Rochdale)
Bacon, Miss A.Darling, G (Hillsboro')Hall, J. (Gateshead, W.)
Balfour, A.Davies, A Edward (Stoke, N.)Hall, Rt. Hn. W. Glenvil (Colne Valley)
Barnes, Rt. Hon. A. J.Davies, Rt. Hn Clement (Montgomery)Hamilton, W. W.
Bartley, P.Davies, S. O. (Merthyr)Hardy, E. A.
Bellenger, Rt. Hon. F. J.de Freitas, GeoffreyHargreaves, A.
Benn, Hon. A. N. WedgwoodDeer, G.Harrison, J.
Benson, G.Dodds, N NHastings, Dr. Somerville
Beswick, F.Donnelly, D.Hayman, F. H.
Bevan, Rt. Hon A. (Ebbw Vale)Driberg, T. E N.Herbison, Miss M
Bevin, Rt. Hon E (Woolwich, E.)Dugdale, Rt Hon J (W. Bromwich)Hobson, C. R
Bing, G. H. CDye, SHolman, P.
Blenkinsop, AEde, Rt. Hon. J. CHolmes, H. E. (Hemsworth)
Blyton, W REdelman, MHoughton, Douglas
Boardman, HEdwards, Rt. Hon. N. (Caerphilly)Hoy, J.
Booth, A.Edwards, W. J. (Stepney)Hubbard, T
Bottomley, A. GEvans, Albert (Islington, S. W.)Hudson, J. H. (Ealing, N.)
Bowden, H. WEvans, E. (Lowestoft)Hughes, Emrys (S. Ayr)
Bowen, R.Evans, S. N. (Wednesbury)Hughes, Hector (Aberdeen, N.)
Bowles, F. G. (Nuneaton)Ewart, R.Hynd, H. (Accrington)
Braddock, Mrs. E. M.Fernyhough, E.Hynd, J. B. (Attercliffe)
Brockway, A. FennerField, Capt. W. JIrvine, A. J. (Edge Hill)
Brooks. T. J. (Normanton)Finch, H. J.Isaacs, Rt. Hon. G. A.
Broughton, Dr. A. D. DFletcher, E. G M. (Islington E.)Janner, B.
Brown, George (Belper)Follick, M.Jay, D. P. T
Brown, T. J. (Ince)Foot, M. M.Jeger, G. (Goole)
Burke, W AForman, J. C.Jenkins, R. H
Burton, Miss E.Fraser, T. (Hamilton)Johnson, James (Rugby)
Butler, H. W. (Hackney, S)Freeman, Peter (Newport)Johnston, Douglas (Paisley)
Callaghan, JamesGaitskell, Rt. Hon. H. T. NJones, D. T. (Hartlepool)
Carmichael, JamesGanley, Mrs. C. S.Jones, Frederick Elwyn (West Ham, S.)
Champion, A. J.Gibson, C. W.Jones, William Elwyn (Conway)
Chetwynd, G. RGilzean, A.Keenan, W.
Clunie, J.Glanville, J. E. (Consett)Kenyon, C.
Cocks, F. S.Gooch, E. G.Key, Rt. Hon. C. W.
Coldrick, W.Gordon-Walker, Rt. Hon. P. CKinley, J.
Collick, P.Greenwood, A. W J. (Rossendale)Kirkwood, Rt. Hon. D.
Collindridge, FGreenwood, Rt. Hon. Arthur (Wakefield)Lee, F. (Newton)
Cook, T F.Grenfell, D. R.Lee, Miss J. (Cannock)

Who has been drafting the replies of the hon. Gentleman today? Has not anybody in the Ministry of Food got a sense of humour?

Is the hon. Gentleman satisfied that there is a sufficient quantity of tinned food for such an emergency?

Has the Minister considered offering storage space to our friends in America to store their food in this country?