§ 15. Sir HUGH SEELYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Food Council's Report on the subject of bacon contained any recommendations regarding public and retailers' dissatisfaction; what these recommendations are; and whether he will publish the report as a White Paper?
§ Dr. BURGINThis report is being issued to-day for publication. I am arranging for a copy to be placed in the Library and sending one to my hon. Friend. Such reports are not normally published as Command Papers. I would suggest to my hon. Friend that the report is best read as a whole, and I should prefer not to attempt to summarise any part of it.
§ Mr. CHARLES WILLIAMSMay I have a copy of the report? Why should it be kept for only one person?
§ Dr. BURGINI will certainly arrange for the hon. Member to have a copy.
§ Sir JOHN HASLAMDoes the hon. Gentleman not realise that all hon. Members are interested, and that one hon. Member is equally entitled to have a copy as another?
§ Dr. BURGINThere is a procedure observed in these matters. I have offered to place a copy in the Library, which is a suitable way. [An HON. MEMBER: "One copy?"] The hon. Member perhaps appreciates that if this report is to be published in full to-day, the procedure I have outlined must be followed. If the hon. Member desires that some other procedure should be followed, it would necessarily delay publication of the report. The report is a valuable one and should come out, if possible, to-day.
§ Mr. BURKEIs the hon. Gentleman not aware of the widespread dissatisfaction in the grocery trade about the increase in the price of bacon and the hardship that the ordinary public has to bear because of the shortage of supplies, and will he therefore make representations to his colleagues at the Ministry of Agriculture to bring up supplies to the expected amount?
§ Dr. BURGIN:I do not think that arises either out of the question or the publication of the report.
§ Mr. N. MACLEANSince the Minister has announced that legislation will follow or regulations be issued, does he not consider it necessary, in the interests of the discussion of that legislation or those regulations, that the particular document about which he is speaking should be sent to hon. Members as a Command Paper?
§ Dr. BURGINI think the hon. Member is confusing two answers. There is not a word about regulations or legislation.
§ Sir J. HASLAMDo I understand the hon. Gentleman to say that only three copies have been printed, one for the Library, one for the hon. Baronet the Member for Berwick-on-Tweed (Sir H. Seely), and one for the hon. Member for Torquay (Mr. C. Williams)?