§ 45. Mr. Glenvil Hallasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what remedy is open to a retailer under the Egg Rationing Scheme whose 1945 customers find the eggs sold to them unusable?
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Major Lloyd George)If the retailer is satisfied that the eggs sold to a consumer are unusable he should supply others in their place, and in his turn claim a replacement from his wholesale supplier, who receives from the Ministry's agents an allowance to meet such claims.
§ Mr. HallMay I ask whether the retailers are aware of this? I have had a complaint from my constituency that in the case of one family five eggs were bad and the retailer thought he had no redress.
Major Lloyd GeorgeI shall be glad to make inquiries into that case, but circulars on this subject have been sent to all the officers in the areas.
§ Mr. Garro JonesDo the wholesalers have to bear the loss?
§ 51. Mr. Simmondsasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether in the interests of economy of time and transport, he will authorise producer-retailers of eggs to hold back the appropriate rations of their customers before dispatching their eggs to the packing stations?
Major Lloyd GeorgeNo, Sir, there is no fixed ration for eggs. The number to be made available for each registered customer can be calculated only after deliveries at packing stations are known. In order that the producer-retailer may obtain the full producer price, it is necessary- that his eggs should pass through a packing station for grading and stamping.
§ Mr. SimmondsIs it not a fact that the Ministry know approximately each week the number of eggs they will obtain, and is not this '' general post '' of eggs highly unsatisfactory, in view of the difficulty of transport and the fact that, by this system of collecting eggs from farms and taking almost an equal quantity back, you are utilising a vast quantity of transport, which is scarcely tolerable in the present circumstances?
Major Lloyd GeorgeI do not think it is right to say that an equal number of eggs goes back to the farm with what is 1946 taken off, because that is hardly possible; but I can assure hon. Members that everything that can be done to reduce transport is done. Distribution is, as much as possible, confined to the areas of collection.