§ 38. Mr. BOWERMANasked the Food Controller whether frozen meat purchased by His Majesty's Government in South America for Army supplies is now in Government possession in surplus quantity owing to the demobilisation of the Forces; whether such meat is being placed in the hands of the Ministry of Food for sale for civilian consumption; whether the operations of British firms in distributing Australasian and other imported meat have been curtailed during the past three years 10 owing to Army demands on supplies and the shortage of freight for transporting Australasian meat to this country; whether these British firms are willing and efficient to undertake the distribution of any surplus South American Army meat; and whether the Ministry of Food propose to hand a considerable portion of this meat, which is the absolute property of the British Government, to foreign and foreign-controlled firms associated with the American Meat Trust for distribution on Government account?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of FOOD (Mr. McCurdy)The answer to the first four parts of the question is in the affirmative. As regards the last part, it has been decided that the surplus South American meat in question shall be distributed equally between the British firms which have suffered through the curtailment of Australasian supplies, and the agents originally appointed by the South American vendors of the meat.