§ 27. Mrs. Leah Manningasked the Minister of Food if there is any administrative difficulty which prevents a doctor from stamping a ration book of a newly-confined woman with the date of her confinement, so that she may continue to get a further two months of queue priority.
§ Mr. StracheyIt is not a question of stamping books only. There are many types of invalids who would be justified in asking for priority if these mothers got it. As we depend on the goodwill and kindness of retailers and shoppers for the observance of this scheme, I do not feel that we should add to their difficulties.
§ Mr. W. FletcherIn view of the fact that, when this question was raised before, the Ministry turned it down largely on the grounds of administrative difficulty, will the Minister, now that a specific suggestion has been made, reconsider the matter?
§ Mr. StracheyI am very willing to reconsider it, if a scheme which seems to me to be practicable and not too complicated can be devised and my Ministry are in favour of applying it. I am frightened of complicated schemes, in view of the difficulty of choosing priorities.