47. Sir Robert Younģasked the Minister of Food whether there is any time limit for the supply of eggs to priority customers; whether he is aware that eggs, already far from fresh, are held back from ordinary customers on the grounds that all customers on the priority list have not applied for their quota; and whether he will make it a rule that eggs will be supplied on demand, while assuring to everyone, within the allocation period, his or her allotted number.
§ The Minister of Food (Colonel Llewellin)Separate allocations of eggs are made to retailers in respect of their priority and non-priority requirements. A non-priority customer should therefore be able to obtain his egg during an allocation period irrespective of whether the requirements of priority customers have or have not been fully met. The answer to the first two parts of the Question is, No, Sir.
Sir R. YounģIs the Minister aware that it is customary for eggs to be lined up in the shops and that priority customers are supplied and other people cannot get them?
§ Colonel LlewellinIf my hon. Friend knows of a particular case of that sort I shall be very glad to go into it.
48. Sir Robert Younģasked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that the second allocation of eggs being now in operation a large number of people have not yet had their quota of eggs under the first allocation, the reason given for this by the shopkeepers being that they have not yet had their full supply of eggs under the first allocation; and can he give an explanation why that should be.
§ Colonel LlewellinYes, Sir; allocation periods normally overlap but in the end every area receives exactly the same number of allocations.
§ 51. Sir A. Knoxasked the Minister of Food how many eggs per week the expectant mother is entitled to and for how many weeks before confinement; and on what scale she is entitled to eggs after the birth of the baby and for how many weeks.
§ Colonel LlewellinTwo shell eggs and three packets of dried eggs during each allocation period, after pregnancy is certified and until the child is six months old.
§ Sir A. KnoxIs it possible to increase the allowance?
§ Colonel LlewellinNo, Sir, I am afraid not at the moment.
§ 52. Sir A. Knoxasked the Minister of Food up to what age children are entitled to a special distribution of eggs.
§ Colonel LlewellinFrom six months to 18 months shell eggs at the rate of three a week and thereafter one shell egg at each allocation. In addition, up to the age of five years, two packages of dried eggs at each allocation of such eggs.