§ 43. Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if he will state what steps it is proposed to take to maintain a supply of poultry for the market, seeing that under present conditions there is considerable danger of poultry disappearing as an article of food?
§ 59. Major NEWMANasked whether he is aware that the sale of poultry has largely ceased since the introduction of purchase by food coupon, and that a quantity of valuable food is consequently deteriorating in cold storage; and whether, since poultry is consumed mainly by women or males not engaged in manual work, he will consider the possibility of placing poultry on the same footing as fish, and thereby make available a larger quantity of meat for those who demand it?
§ Mr. CLYNESI hope to remove such difficulties as have arisen in the sale of poultry under the rationing scheme by the issue this week of an amended table of equivalent weights for meat.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEIs the hon. Gentleman aware that at this moment very little poultry is to be obtained at retailers, and that there is great consternation amongst rearers of poultry as to whether they will be able to sell their birds or not, and will the hon. Gentleman say what steps his Department intend to take?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe statement I have just made about amended weights will, I think, remove many of the difficulties. I am not aware that the difficulties are so great as suggested by the hon. Gentleman.
§ Mr. BILLINGHas the hon. Gentleman approached the Ministry of Agriculture with reference to those questions, and will he set up in conjunction with that Ministry a Joint Committee to consider the whole question of raising poultry?
§ Mr. CLYNESA Joint Committee has already been set up, as I announced some time ago in the House, to deal with this and similar questions of food production.