§ 71. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the Minister of Agriculture, with regard to the draft Order which has been issued under the Merchandise Marks Act for marketing sultanas, raisins, eggs, and oatmeal and oat products, whether, in view of the undertaking given by the President of the Board of Trade that the Government would not agree to such an Order being made unless and until the marketing scheme of the Ministry was in full operation, and of the fact that that. scheme does not come into operation until 1st February, 1929, he will say when the draft Order is to come into effect?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Mr. Guinness)The period after which the various provisions of the draft Order in Council shall come into operation is shown, in respect of each class of articles, at the end of Parts I and IV of the Order. In the case of eggs in shell, the period is four months after the Order is made. It cannot, therefore, come into force until 201 towards the end of April next, at the earliest, and by that time the marketing scheme will have been in actual operation for some three months. Indeed, many of the packing centres that will work under the scheme are already sending out supplies in the approved manner.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYDid not the right hon. Gentleman give an undertaking to the Federation of Grocers' Associations that no Order for marketing imported eggs should be brought into operation till there was experience of this marketing scheme, and did not that mean that he would again consult them after experience had been obtained of the marketing scheme before finally bringing the Order into force?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere is a notice in the papers with reference to this question this evening.