§ 77. Mr. GILBERTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that his Department sent a letter on 16th April to a Mr. T. Stevenson, cake baker, in Curtain Road, E.C., releasing to him, through a City wholesale firm, fifty-five cases of damaged currants at a price to be fixed by the wholesale firm and conditional on these currants being used for cake to supply the Navy and Army Canteen Board, the Young Men's Christian Association, canteens, munition works, and institutions of a similar nature; and will he state in what condition these currants were, if they were fit for food, and what price was charged for them to this baker?
§ Mr. PARKERThe City wholesale firm were instructed to pass these currants to the baker at a price not exceeding 89s. 6d. a hundredweight. The currants were white and sugary, and therefore unsuited for sale as groceries. They were perfectly wholesome, and were sold at the same 315 price as the sound currants forming part of the same consignment. The condition limiting the sale to the institutions mentioned was imposed in order to avoid an-undue preference being given to a limited number of traders by enabling them to sell currant cakes to the general public.