HC Deb 28 July 1930 vol 242 cc21-3
33. Mr. DAY

asked the Minister of Agriculture the quantity and declared value of Chinese eggs in shell and not in shell imported into Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the 12 months ended to the last convenient date; what steps are being taken by his Department to improve the marketing of home-produced eggs; and what success any such action has met with?

Mr. PARKINSON (Lord of the Treasury)

I have been asked to reply. As the reply is necessarily long, I propose, with the permission of hon. Friend, to circulate it in the 0FFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. DAY

Can we have a statement as to the quantity of these eggs?

Mr. HANNON

Will the hon. Gentleman give the House some indication, before the reply is published, of the quantity of eggs, not in the shell, which comes into this country?

Following is the reply:

The imports of eggs from China into the United Kingdom during 1929 were as follows:

Quantity. Declared value.
Great hundreds. £
Eggs in shell … 1,624,087cwts. 996,012
Eggs not in shell … 787,890 3,636,668

The steps taken by my right hon. Friend's Department to improve the marketing of home produced eggs are generally well known as the National Mark Egg Scheme. A leaflet describing the scheme is being sent to my hon. Friend.

In reply to the last part of the question, the following results may he definitely attributed to the National Mark Scheme for eggs:—

  1. (i) The statutory standard of weight and quality for home-produced eggs are now widely recognised and accepted.
  2. (ii) The level of egg marketing technique has been greatly improved, especially in relation to candling, and methods of grading and packing.
  3. (iii) National Mark eggs have secured the premier position above all other eggs in the large wholesale markets.
  4. (iv) Largely through the establishment of National Mark Egg Central, Limited, a co-operative federation of the authorised packing stations, National Mark eggs have secured entry into quarters where previously dependence was largely placed upon imported supplies; this has favourably influenced the market for home-produced eggs generally.
  5. (v) The distributive trades have recognised the advantages of standardised quality and packing, with continuity of supply, new offered by National Mark eggs.
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  6. (vi) The production of eggs in this country has been encouraged and the numbers of fowls on farms have largely increased accordingly.

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