§ 41. Mr. Keelingasked the Minister of Food whether he will now cancel the regulation which counts bread as a course at a meal.
§ Dr. SummerskillI am afraid I cannot add to the reply which I gave to the hon. Member for Louth (Mr. Osborne) on 12th May.
§ Mr. KeelingIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there are very few restaurants, except of course, the House of Commons Dining Room, where this regulation is enforced, and if the Minister thinks it inexpedient to enforce it why does she think it necessary to retain it?
§ Dr. SummerskillIn reply to the first part of the hon. Member's supplementary question, nobody ever offers me bread in a restaurant. We are prepared to annul the order when we abolish bread rationing.
§ Mr. J. S. C. ReidCould the hon. Lady say what is the estimated saving in bread by this regulation or whether this is another of those psychological regulations?
§ Dr. SummerskillThat is determined by the waste of bread on the plates.
§ Captain MarsdenIs the hon. Lady aware that in this House of Commons we are not bound by any regulations and that anything done in the way of rationing is done voluntarily?
§ Dr. SummerskillNo, the hon. and gallant Gentleman is wrong, and if I find that he infringes the food regulations in the Dining Room, I am afraid we shall have to take action.