§ 68. Mr. RENDALLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that hotels are making a practice of demanding from their visitors upon arrival the latter's complete meat tickets and, after a stay of two or three days only, the visitor finds on leaving that four coupons, being a full week's meat ration, have been retained; and will he issue some instruction or Order making it an offence for hotel proprietors to retain coupons disproportionate to the length of the guest's visit?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of FOOD (Mr.Clynes)No member of the public, staying in a catering establishment is obliged to surrender his meat card. He may do this by arrangement as a matter of convenience, or he may decide to retain possession of it and to surrender coupons or half-coupons as meat meals are served to him. It is not, therefore, thought necessary to issue the instruction or Order suggested. I should be glad, however, to have particulars of any instance in which hotel proprietors have retained meat coupons in excess of the quantity served to their visitors.