§ 74. Mr. PYBUSasked the Minister of Agriculture if any of the cattle imported from the Irish Free State and killed at Birkenhead are graded and marked English or in the same manner as beef produced in Great Britain?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Dr. Addison)Cattle imported from any part of Ireland and killed in this country are graded and marked with the home-killed mark.
§ Mr. PYBUSIf cattle imported from one Dominion, the Irish Free State, can be marked "English," is there any logical reason why Australian or New Zealand meat should not be so marked?
§ Dr. ADDISONThose cattle are imported alive.
§ Major-General Sir ROBERT HUTCHISONIs it not, a fact that Canadian cattle imported into Glasgow are killed on the quays there?
§ Dr. ADDISONThere are a great many very intricate questions involved with regard to preventing substitution. I shall be glad to inform my hon. Friends of the details, if they wish me to do so, but I cannot give them in answer to an ordinary question.
§ Mr. PYBUSIf an Irishman were imported into England, would he become an Englishman supposing he were killed here?
§ 75. Mr. PYBUSasked the Minister of Agriculture for the last convenient period the total number of carcases of beef which were graded by Government graders; and how many of them were classed in each of the three grades select, prime, and good?
§ Dr. ADDISONIn 1930, 254,569 sides of home-killed and Scotch-killed beef were so graded and marked, namely, 144,524 as "Select," 105,404 as "Prime," and 4,571 as "Good."
§ Mr. PYBUSIs it not a fact that, the moment you start grading meat, it all becomes of superior quality?
§ Dr. ADDISONNo; the fact that there are three grades, and that only 144,000 out of 254,000 came in the first grade proves that that is not so.
§ Mr. PYBUSIs it not the fact that the second grade is by far the most numerous; and, if that be so, is it not the fact that, when the attempt to grade the meat is made, it cannot be graded in one or two grades, with the result that it is not graded at all?