§ 65. Mr. Toucheasked the Minister of Food whether any long-term contracts have been made for regular supplies of imported canned meats; and why is there such a decline in present and future immediate deliveries.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Dr. Edith Summerskill)The answer to the first part of the Question is, "Yes, Sir." Distribution over the next few months will be higher than prewar but below the rate of issue in the past year, when we had the benefit of war surpluses.
§ 66. Mr. Toucheasked the Minister of Food the amounts of imported canned meats to be allocated to the trade during the present allocation period and in the two following periods.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe quantity of imported canned meats to be distributed, apart from canned corned meat which is issued against the meat ration, will be 5,000 tons for the four weeks which began yesterday and 4,000 tons for the four weeks commencing 20th July. The amount for the following four-weekly period has not yet been fixed.
§ Mr. ToucheCould I be told the amount for the previous period, as there has been a new period since I put down the Question?
§ Dr. SummerskillI think that in the period before this one, which commenced yesterday, the amount was about 9,700 tons.