§ 106. Mr. THORNEasked the Minister of Agriculture whether the rules defining select beef and prime beef under the national meat-marking scheme are similar both for England and Scotland; and, if so, why an English side of beef marked select, or first grade, invariably sells for less on Smithfield Market than a Scottish side marked prime, or second grade, seeing that both are supposed to be graded to an equal rule of quality?
§ Mr. N. BUXTONSimilar grading standards for "select" and "prime" beef have been adopted by my Department and by the Department of Agriculture for Scotland. It is not possible to define the reasons which determine variations in prices actually realised.
§ 107. Mr. D. G. SOMERVILLEasked the Minister of Agriculture if he is now satisfied that there is no attempt on the part of butchers in any part of the country to boycott beef that bears either the English or the Scottish national mark; and, if this is not the case, whether he will state the districts from which such a tendency has been reported?
§ Mr. BUXTONThere is now no evidence of any organised boycott of national mark beef in the London or Birmingham areas where the scheme is in operation; on the contrary, it is now freely sold by the great majority of butchers who deal in home-killed beef, as is shown by the fact that between 80 and 90 per cent. of the gradable beef on Smithfield Market is now marked and the quantity of beef marked in Birmingham has increased by 50 per cent. This 2089 recent striking improvement may be attributed very largely to the publicity campaigns undertaken in the two centres by my Department in conjunction with the Empire Marketing Board.