§ MR. ALFRED DAVIES (Carmarthen Boroughs)To ask the President of the Local Government Board if he will state the consumption of meat per head of the population in the United Kingdom, and average price paid during each of the five years previous to the repeal of the Corn Laws, and during each of the last five years.
(Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) There are no means of giving the information asked for with regard to the consumption of meat per head of the population of the United Kingdom in the years named. Some information as to the present rate of consumption of meat by working-class families will be found on pp. 210–12 of Cd. 1761 of 1903. The average price of live meat (beef) at the Metropolitan Cattle Market per stone of 8lbs. (sinking the offal) in the years named in the Question, was as follows:—
| The average import value of fresh beef in each of the last five years per 8lbs. was— | ||
| s. | d. | |
| 1899 | 2 | 9 |
| 1900 | 2 | 10 |
| 1901 | 2 | 9¾ |
| 1902 | 3 | 0½ |
| 1903 | 2 | 10½ |
| First Quality. | Second Quality. | Inferior Quality. | ||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |
| 1899 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 1900 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 1901 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| 1902 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| 1903 | 5 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 8 |