54. Mr. E. P. Smithasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that, while small allocations of rationed foodstuffs are made for weddings, none is made for funerals, and that this pressed very hardly upon the people of a certain South-Eastern town which was recently heavily bombed, where relatives came from a distance to attend funerals and no provision whatever could be made for them; and if he will reconsider the matter?
§ Mr. MabaneNo, Sir, my Noble Friend does not feel he would be justified in undertaking to provide special issues of rationed foods in the circumstances suggested by my hon. Friend.
Mr. SmithIs it not possible for the Minister of Food to take a rather more human point of view in the matter? When you get badly blitzed towns and many people coming to attend funerals can no provision be made for them? Are they not quite as important as weddings?
§ Mr. MabaneI have examined the case to which the hon. Member referred and I understand that there had been no single application for any additional food, as he suggests.