§ 65. Major Milnerasked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the great dissatisfaction amongst raw-fat melters with the system of allocation of raw fat; what is the basis of such allocation; is every raw-fat melter receiving an equal proportionate allocation without discrimination; and how many melters are engaged in allocation who are still engaged in the business incompetition with those to whom they make allocations?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonI am not aware of any dissatisfaction amongst raw fat melters generally with the system of allocation of raw fats. The basic allocations are determined by the Ministry of Food and are related to the quantity of edible raw fats processed by each licensed melter during a fixed pre-war period. Every melter receives his due proportion of the raw fats available and there is no discrimination. The distribution in each of the eight areas into which the country has been divided for the purposes of the Scheme is supervised by the Chairman of the Local Advisory Committee of Fat Melters. The eight chairmen, who are serving without remuneration, are all associated with firms in the fat melting industry.
§ Major MilnerIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the very fact that the chairmen are associated with the industry is giving great dissatisfaction, and has he taken any steps to check the figures on the basis to which he has referred?
§ Mr. MorrisonWe get a weekly return from each fat melter of the amounts he has received, and by that, means a close check is kept upon the allocations. The evidence I have had about the action of these chairmen is that they have done their work very fairly indeed.
§ Major MilnerHas the Minister taken steps to check the date concerning the period before the war which is the basis of the allocation?
§ Mr. MorrisonYes, Sir.