HC Deb 03 April 1946 vol 421 cc1247-9
53. Mr. Lipson

asked the Minister of Food if it is the policy of his Department that British Restaurants should not be closed so long as the present shortage of food continues; and if he will give instructions that his officers shall not insist upon financial and other conditions which compel local authorities to close any British Restaurant.

Sir B. Smith

My policy is that no British Restaurant should be closed which continues to meet a nutritional need, and which is self supporting. The only financial condition on which I insist is that a British Restaurant shall not continue to operate at the expense of the Exchequer.

Mr. Lipson

May I ask the Minister whether, in view of the food shortage, it is necessary to insist on the last condition?

Sir B. Smith

I will look into the matter again, but that is the policy as I have announced in this House.

Wing-Commander Roland Robinson

Is there any reason why British Restaurants should be relieved at the taxpayers' expense from charges borne by all their competitors in the industry?

54. Mr. Lipson

asked the Minister of Food if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Cheltenham Town Council is to be asked at its meeting to agree to the closing of the three British Restaurants in the borough, with consequent hardship to the public, as a result of the insistence by his Department of amortisation charges of 12 per cent. of the capital expenditure, which make it impossible to operate the British Restaurants on a self-supporting basis; and if he will consider reducing this charge to an amount which will enable the,restaurants to continue to function.

Sir B. Smith

A representative of my Department met the British Restaurant Committee of the Cheltenham Borough Council last Thursday and recommended that two of these restaurants should remain open and the third which caters almost entirely for children should be transferred to the Education Committee.

As regards the second part of the Question, 'undertakings which do not provide for amortisation in full are not pressed to close so long as they make some contribution to amortisation and so long as they have taken all steps possible to operate the undertaking efficiently and to charge proper prices for the meals supplied.

Mr. Lipson

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Cheltenham Town Council has now decided to close one of the three British Restaurants and that it was only as a result of my Question being put on the Order Paper that a high official from the Ministry was sent to Cheltenham to explain the financial position accurately?

Sir B. Smith

May I say, with respect, that I think that my officer was there before the hon. Gentleman put down his Question.