11 and 67. Mr. A. RICHARDSONasked (1) the Under-Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Army Contracts Department have commandeered the whole of the pelts from sheep killed by the butchers; that the price they are paying the butchers for them is 25 per cent, less than the market value; whether he can see his way clear to remedy this treatment of the butchers; (2) the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Government, who purchase the hides of fat cattle from the butchers are paying them the same price to-day as they were a year ago, although the butcher is paying 30 per cent, more for fat cattle; and can he see his way clear to rectify this by paying the butcher a correspondingly increased price for his hides?
§ Mr. FORSTERI would refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply which I gave on the 6th instant to the hon. Member for Reading.