§ 32. Mr. LEWISasked the Minister of Agriculture for what reason British eggs which have been gas-stored have to be marked "sterilised" before being offered for sale whereas imported gas-stored eggs have not to be so marked?
§ The MINISTER of AGRICULTURE (Major Elliot)By the Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) (Eggs) Regulations, 1930, British eggs which have been kept in chemical storage are required to be marked on the shell with the word "sterilised." This provision is operative so long as an Order in Council under Section 2 of the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, is in force prohibiting the sale or the exposure for sale in the United Kingdom of imported eggs unless they bear an indication of origin. The object of the Regulations is to safeguard the market for home-produced fresh eggs. In the case of imported eggs it is not practicable, in the absence of international agreement, to require differentiation in marking between fresh eggs and eggs which have been preserved by various processes.
§ Mr. LEWISWill the right hon. Gentleman consider the desirability of ceasing to require this marking in the case of native eggs on the ground that it is calculated to create prejudice against them compared with imported eggs which are not so marked?
§ Major ELLIOTSomehow or other it must be possible to distinguish between 995 stored eggs and fresh eggs, otherwise it would prejudice the case for the British fresh egg.