§ 65. Mr. McEnteeasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food under what authority are prosecutions under the Food Orders initiated and ordered by his Department, where the only evidence available is extracts taken by the censors from correspondence pass- 1579 ing through their hands and passed on to the Ministry?
§ Mr. MabaneInformation reaching my Department from any source regarding possible breaches of the Food Orders is carefully investigated and proceedings are not instituted unless adequate evidence of an offence having been committed is obtained.
§ Mr. McEnteeMay I point out to the hon. Member that he has not answered my Question at all? I asked him on what authority this was done and the answer says nothing about the authority.
§ Mr. MabaneI was not clear what the hon. Member meant by "authority." The procedure is exactly the same in cases of this sort as in other cases where proceedings are instituted. The ultimate authority is the authority of this House.
§ Mr. McEnteeBut the ultimate authority of this House has not been given and I am asking under what authority you are prosecuting poor people. In the case I have in mind a husband in the Army writes to his wife and congratulates her on being able to exchange a little bit of cheese which she does not want for a little bit of meat which she does want, and was it ever intended by this House that such exchanges should not take place?
§ Mr. MabaneThe hon. Member knows perfectly well that there was no prosecution in that case.
§ Mr. McEnteeI am chairman of the food committee and I know that we were asked to prosecute and that we refused.
§ Mr. MabaneI cannot accept in the least the statement that the committee were asked to prosecute.