§ 51. Mr. J. S. C. Reidasked the Minister of Food how his announcement of a saving of 4 per cent. in deliveries of flour for human consumption in the first six months of 1947 compared with the first six months of 1946 is reconciled with the saving of only 2.3 per cent. which appears from a comparison of the figures for those periods given in the October "Digest of Statistics."
§ Mr. StracheyThe figure of 4 per cent. saving quoted in my reply of 10th November, 1947, was based on actual deliveries from mills. The figures appearing in the "Digest of Statistics" are, as my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary told the hon. Member on 17th November, based on returns from users, which may be late and incomplete. Differences between comparable figures of deliveries and consumption are to be accounted for by changes in stocks held by bakers and distributors.
§ Mr. ReidIf the Minister is referring to total disposals of flour, is it not the case that practically all the saving took place in the first quarter of the year and that in the second quarter there was very little? Does that not point to the fact that bread rationing was not the source of the saving?
§ Mr. StracheyThe saving was highest in the earlier period. It was about 7 per cent. In the period about which the right hon. and learned Gentleman asks it was about 4 per cent.