73. Mrs. Manningasked the Minister of Food whether he will extend the queue priority now accorded to expectant mothers, to cover a period of two months after the birth of a child.
§ Mr. StracheyI have given this suggestion very careful consideration but I have reluctantly concluded that it is impracticable to extend the formal queue priority document beyond the simple definite case of expectant mothers.
Mrs. ManningIs my right hon. Friend aware that a woman who has just had a child is very often in a desperate situation if she has to stand in a queue?
§ Mr. StracheyI have very great sympathy with my hon. Friend's suggestion. As a matter of fact a good many shopkeepers give this privilege to women who have just had a child, but it is very difficult to extend the actual queue priority document. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] Because the expectant mother is in a simple category. She has a different ration book, which she can produce. If the category is extended beyond the expectant mother, we come to the category which includes invalids, and many other people, and we should have to establish how long the mother needs priority after having had her child. This question of queue priority is a very difficult one.
§ Mr. W. FletcherWould it not be perfectly simple to stamp the original document to show an extension of two months, and so get over all the difficulties?