§ 60. Sir STEPHEN COLLINSasked the Food Controller whether an Order has been issued to all flour millers that after 9th November they are to purchase no more barley for making into flour but that all barley offered should be purchased by maltsters for the purpose of being used in the manufacture of beer; whether farmers are to be obliged to sell 80 per cent. of all their barley to maltsters and merchants for the manufacture of beer at a maximum of 71s. per quarter, whereas the same barley put on the market for feed purposes for cattle and pigs would be worth 90s. to 100s. per quarter compared with other feeding-stuffs; and, if so, will he explain why this Order has been issued, in view of the position of the available food supply 3420 and in view of the fact that the farmers were promised last spring that if they grew all the barley possible it should be used for the purpose of human food?
§ Mr. PARKERThe answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. The conditions under which a proportion of barley may be released to farmers for use as feeding-stuffs and the balance disposed of were stated on Monday in answer to a question by the hon. Member for Haggerston. The price that barley might fetch if the price were uncontrolled is not a question into which I can profitably enter. The release of a proportion of barley for use by farmers as feeding-stuffs is a necessity imposed by the serious dearth of other feeding-stuffs, and this step was taken in response to the urgent representations of the farmers themselves.
§ Sir S. COLLINSIs it not a fact that the maltsters are having preference over the millers?
§ Mr. PARKERI have just answered the hon. Member in the negative.