§ 9. Mr. Parkerasked the President of the Board of Trade what steps the Government propose to take with regard to the suggestion made by the Food Council in June, 1936, that an independent tribunal be set up to inquire into cases where supplies of flour have been cut off from bakers by millers when the former charge prices below those ruling in their districts?
Mr. StanleyNo case calling for the appointment of such a tribunal appears to have arisen since the date of the Food Council's report.
§ 16. Mr. Dayasked the President of the Board of Trade the most recent information his Department has relating to the sack capacity of the flour mills in Great Britain and Ireland; and whether any mills have been closed since those statistics were obtained?
Mr. StanleyVoluntary returns of sack capacity are supplied by flour millers in the United Kingdom to the Food (Defence Plans) Department, but the information is confidential and not for publication. 1967 While certain mills have been closed during the period that these returns have been collected, extensions have taken place elsewhere and there is at the present time considerable surplus capacity of flour milling over current requirements.
§ Mr. DayIs there any information available as to the possibility of changes being made in the storage capacity?
Mr. StanleyI have given the hon. Member all the information I have. We know that there is a surplus.
24. Mr. De la Bèreasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Government will consider introducing legislation to ensure that all imported flour shall be accompanied by imports of its related offals?
Mr. De la BèreIs my right hon. Friend aware that the farmer has to pay as much for offals as he pays for his wheat, and does he not realise that a prosperous countryside transcends everything else in importance? Is it not inexplicable that something has not been done before in this matter?
§ Mr. MacquistenIs it not better that there should be no flour imported and that we should all grind our own wheat?