§ 15. Mr. Edmund Harveyasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention had been called to the high percentage of impurities in the grain delivered to the cleaning plants and mills in Palestine; whether he can indicate the cause of this waste; and what steps are being taken to deal with the matter.
§ The Secretary of State for the Colonies (Colonel Oliver Stanley)Yes, Sir. The Palestine flour-milling industry is obliged to rely largely upon grain grown in the Middle East area, which does not in respect of cleanness approach the standards set in the great grain-producing areas of the world. This is due in part to primitive methods of threshing, but also to deliberate adulteration on the part of the producers which it is exceedingly difficult to check. The flour-milling industry of Palestine has recently been the subject of an expert enquiry and urgent consideration is being given to the recommendations resulting from it.