HC Deb 20 July 1949 vol 467 cc1368-9
47. Air-Commodore Harvey

asked the Minister of Food if, in view of the good fruit crop, he will now reconsider his decision not to grant a further allocation of sugar to housewives to enable them to use homegrown fruit for jam making.

The Minister of Food (Mr. Strachey)

The special issues to housewives for making jam, which have already been announced, amount to 7 lb. as compared to 5 lb. last year. I am afraid that the need to cut our dollar purchases of sugar, which my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer explained to the House on 14th July, makes any further increase impossible.

Air-Commodore Harvey

Would it not be more economical, in view of the very heavy fruit crop this year, to make another allocation of sugar? What does the Minister propose to do with the excess fruit crop, in any case?

Mr. Strachey

I should not have thought, in view of the seven pounds allocated this year, that there would be difficulty in disposing of the fruit crop, but we shall see.

Mrs. Jean Mann

Would not my right hon. Friend agree that 84 lb. of jam where there are four children and 56 lb. where there are four adults is a very reasonable amount of home made jam? Will he, therefore, close his ears to the appeal to increase sugar for jam making and let all housewives have more of this fruit which is being stored up by some people who have too much?

Mr. Strachey

I would agree with my hon. Friend that the next most important consideration for sugar is the domestic ration that we have had to reduce.

Colonel Gomme-Duncan

Does not the right hon. Gentleman realise that the housewife who has her own fruit and uses the jam ration for sugar is getting five pounds less and not seven pounds more? I cannot get that fact into the Minister's head, nor into that of his assistant.

Mr. Strachey

I am well aware that the housewife who has decided that she must never buy any jam at all may get less sugar but we know from our own figures that the average housewife is getting more sugar, let alone the housewife who is getting all her jam.

Mr. Braddock

Would my right hon. Friend consider taking some of the sugar from the manufacturers who use it not for making jam but slush, and giving it to the housewife?

Mr. Strachey

I would not agree with my hon. Friend's allegation.

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