§ 60. Colonel Stoddart-Scottasked the Minister of Food the number of individuals with a medical qualification who sit on the Food Rationing (Special Diets) Advisory Committee; how many times they met during the last six months of 1946; and how many medical men were present on each occasion.
§ Mr. StracheyApplications for special rations for individual patients are not taken to the committee as a whole, but are sent by the secretary to the individual members of the committee most suitable to deal with the particular case. This is more expeditious than attempting to convene the committee to deal with each application. The full committee meets when a change of the scales of extra rations automatically available for each illness is in question. For this purpose the committee met twice during the last six months; eight of the ten members were present at the first, and nine at the second meeting.
§ Colonel Stoddart-ScottDoes the Minister think it is a satisfactory arrangement that a committee, advising in regard to food for invalids, should meet only twice in six months, and will be explain why, in view of the fact that the necessary information is circulated to the different members of the Committee, it took five months to get white flour for a patient, when the Committee had all the information before them at the beginning of the application?
§ Mr. StracheyI think it is a perfectly satisfactory method that eminent men, who are best qualified, should be consulted in the case of each particular illness. In answer to the second part of the question, perhaps the hon. and gallant Member will let me have the details?
§ Colonel Stoddart-ScottOwing to the staggeringly unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter again on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.