§ 30. Sir P. HURDasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the Cheshire County Council have arranged that the meat for the mental institutions under their control shall be British and be bought wholesale at the markets and slaughtered by their own officials, the average cost over the 12 months being 4¾d. per pound; and whether he will make this fact known to other local authorities for the encouragement of British agriculture?
Sir H. YOUNGI am informed that a considerable part of the meat purchased for these institutions is British, and that the average cost for the last 12 months is about 5½d. per pound. I will communicate with my hon. Friend with regard to the details and also as to the suggestion contained in the second part of the question.
§ Sir P. HURDIn doing so, will my right hon. Friend bear in mind that in the Cheshire case the slaughtering was done by the officials themselves, thus saving a considerable part of the cost?
§ Earl WINTERTONIf my right hon. Friend adopts the suggestion in the last paragraph, will he also pass on the information to the defence forces of the Crown, whose Ministers steadfastly refuse to purchase British beef?
§ 50. Lieut.-Commander AGNEWasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in order to give effect to the Government's Buy British campaign, he will make it a matter of Government policy that supplies of beef and mutton for the Navy, Army, and Air Force be drawn from home producers as soon as the existing contracts have expired?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Major Elliot)I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the answer which I gave on 27th October to a question by the hon. and gallant Member for Tiverton (Lieut.-Colonel Acland-Troyte), to which I am not in a position to add.
§ Lieut.-Commander AGNEWDoes not my right hon. and gallant Friend consider that the proposal implied in my question would he a valuable contribution towards preventing further unemployment among agricultural workers?
§ Major ELLIOTMy hon. and gallant Friend must remember that it is part of the policy of the whole House to cooperate as far as possible with the Dominions, and 99 per cent. of these purchases are British.
§ Lieut.-Commander AGNEWIs my right hon. and gallant Friend suggesting that we should countenance unemployment among our own agricultural workers in favour of those in the Dominions?
§ Major ELLIOTI would ask my hon. and gallant Friend to reflect upon the question which he has just asked and upon the possible implication in it.
§ Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND-TROYTEIs it not the policy of the Government to give the home producer the first place in the home market?
§ Major ELLIOTThat is our policy.