19. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he will confer with the Minister of Food with a view to ensuring that every farmer throughout the country should obtain some percentage of his feeding-stuff requirements in the form of a straight-run feeding-stuff; and whether he will consider introducing a standard ration produced from good sound cereals to be sold through the normal channels of distribution, the corn merchants and dealers throughout the country, at an economic price, having regard to the controlled price of livestock throughout the country?
§ The Minister of Agriculture (Colonel Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith)I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to his Question on this subject on 15th February. As then stated, arrangements are already in hand with the object of making available to farmers an appropriate percentage of straight-run feeding-stuffs. With regard to the second part of the Question, the introduction of a standard ration is open to a number of objections which appear to me, as at present advised, to outweigh the advantages of the proposal.
Mr. De la BèreWill my right hon. and gallant Friend institute a campaign of fact-finding and inquire into the facts of the feeding-stuffs muddle? In regard to the second part of my Question, will he endeavour to get the Government to take over the feeding-stuffs from the port mills, supervise the processing of wheat there, and see that its distribution does take place? Is he not aware that, although we are now in the seventh month of the war, no steps have been taken to organise the distribution of feeding-stuffs?
§ Sir R. Dorman-SmithI do not entirely agree with the last part of my hon. Friend's statement. According to the information we get, we are trying to keep in touch with events.
Mr. De la BèreThese sentiments are all right, but they carry us nowhere. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I shall be bound to raise the matter on the Adjournment.