HC Deb 29 November 1948 vol 458 cc1618-9
30. Mr. Driberg

asked the Minister of Food if any steps are being taken to encourage the production of concentrated orange juice within the sterling area.

Mr. Strachey

Yes, Sir. I am glad to be able to announce that I have recently offered to the West Indian Colonies a ten year contract, in the form of a guarantee to take concentrated orange juice for the Welfare Food Scheme up to a maximum of 5,000 tons a year. This offer the growers and producers in Jamaica, Trinidad and British Honduras have accepted. A formula for the annual revision of prices for the first five years of the contract has been agreed; a fresh formula for the remaining half of the contract will be worked out later on.

Plans are already in hand for a wide-scale expansion of citrus acreage in the Islands and for the installation of factories and modern equipment for the production of juice.

We hope that this long-term agreement will bring us an increasing supply of concentrated orange juice over the next five years, which will enable us to maintain the present distribution to young children and expectant mothers and, at the same time, to reduce our dollar expenditure.

Mr. Driberg

While welcoming that announcement, may I ask my right hon. Friend if, when these additional supplies become available, he will intensify his campaign to make these welfare foods better known and better used, because they are not fully taken up at present?

Mr. Strachey

Certainly. That is a consideration which we have very much in mind.

Mr. Anthony Greenwood

Will the Minister also consider the possibility of extending the distribution of orange juice to children over five years of age at the earliest opportunity.

Mr. Strachey

That is largely a question of supply.

Rationed foodstuffs consumed in this country in the first quarter of 1948 were allocated for civilian consumption in approximately the following proportions:
— Tea Fats Sugar and Preserves Cheese Bacon Meat
per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent. per cent.
Hotels, restaurants and other commercial catering establishments 4.6 3.6 2.2 3.6 2.1 2.2
Industrial canteens 4.3 4.1 2.3 4.3 1.6 3.2
Other catering establishments (school and young peoples' feeding centres, civic restaurants, staff dining rooms, etc.) 0.9 2.2 1.3 1.6 1.9 4.2
Institutions 1.9 1.8 1.3 1.7 2.0 1.7
Manufacturers and trade users — 13.6 43.0 — — 9.5
Other civilian consumption* 88.3 74.7 49.9 88.8 92.4 79.2
Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
* Mainly individual rations, but includes small permit quantities for office tea clubs, etc., for which separate information is not available.