HC Deb 06 December 1939 vol 355 cc650-1
62. Mr. Jackson

asked ťhe Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster the amount of bacon throughput in the registered bacon factories for the months of October, 1938 and 1939?

Mr. W. S. Morrison

The quantity of bacon produced by registered bacon curers in Great Britain in October, 1938, was 231,996 cwt. and in October, 1939, 170,871 cwt.

65. Mr. Leonard

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware that of the 20 bacon curers in Edinburgh and district not one now qualifies for a licence to produce bacon; that these bacon curers are now receiving circulars from large English curing firms offering to supply them with bacon; and whether he is satisfied that the saving on throughput by the large curers is equal to the cost of transport of pigs from Edinburgh to the large curer and their return as bacon to the curers who are refused the right to cure?

Mr. Morrison

As the hon. Member will be aware from the answer which I gave yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for West Birmingham (Mr. Higgs), I now propose to extend the issue of licences to permit the production of bacon on premises licensed under the Bacon Industries Act where the average weekly output of bacon in 1938 was 5 cwt. or more and where the conditions which will be embodied in the licence can be complied with.

68. Mr. Mander

asked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will now consider the advisability of continuing to issue licences in respect of small bacon curers to produce bacon, in view of the great hardships which will otherwise be involved, and the fact that in Wolverhampton, in particular, all the small curers have been obtaining their supplies from the Wolverhampton abattoir, and there is no reason, from the point of view of economy or administration, why this practice could not be advantageously continued?

Mr. Morrison

I would refer the hon. Member to my answer yesterday to my hon. Friend the Member for West Birmingham (Mr. Higgs). It is now proposed to issue licences permitting the production of bacon on premises where the average weekly output of bacon in 1938 was 5 cwt. or more. I am informed that as a result of this decision there are six small bacon curers in Wolverhampton who will now qualify for a bacon production licence, provided they comply with the appropriate conditions as to the type of bacon to be produced.

Mr. T. Williams

Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether the small bacon curers who were prevented from curing from last Friday and will now on Wednesday be permitted to produce can have any guarantee that to-morrow there will not be another order changing the situation again?

Mr. Morrison

There never has been any prohibition of curing by small producers.

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