§ 6. Mr. Keelingasked the Minister of Food whether he will consider authorising the sale of unsubsidised white bread in addition to subsidised grey and brown bread.
§ Mr. StracheyI cannot add to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. J. Morrison) on Wednesday, 26th January.
§ Mr. KeelingIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that a very large proportion of the public would be willing to buy white bread at full cost price and thus relieve the Exchequer? Could not the Minister give some reasons against this suggestion other than those he has given? Is it entirely a question of dollars or is it a desire to enforce universal austerity?
§ Mr. StracheyOh, no, Sir; it is a question of dollars. If we reduced the extraction rate, or, as proposed by the hon. Member, reduced it on a high proportion of the bread sold, obviously we should have to buy more wheat, which is largely a dollar commodity. That is the real reason.