§ 66. Mr. MARRIOTTasked the Prime Minister whether the Government has considered the advisability and possibility of diverting some portion of the supplies of imported mutton now accumulating at British ports to other countries where there is a great shortage of food?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI have been asked to reply. The Board of Trade are prepared to entertain any proposals of this nature. France, Belgium and Italy have been furnished with all the meat their Governments are a tie to take, and in this way supplies have been diverted which otherwise would have come to the United Kingdom, but this amount is less than they anticipated 1526 being able to absorb. Other proposals have been made on behalf of private firms and have broken down on finance. The matter is largely one for the Supreme Economic Council. A small quantity of mutton has been despatched to Vienna, via Hamburg, but there are difficulties in the way of cold storage accommodation and insulated wagons that would hinder large shipments, and it has to be remembered that the Continent demands beef in preference to mutton.