HC Deb 19 June 1950 vol 476 cc845-6
26. Mr. E. Martin Smith

asked the Minister of Food if he will now consider an alteration in the present practice whereby farm workers are prevented from drawing their own extra rations.

15. Mr. Dodds-Parker

asked the Minister of Food if he will now reconsider his decision and allow agricultural workers to collect their own seasonal food allowance instead of the rations being supplied through the farmer who employs them.

Mr. Webb

As I have previously explained in the House, these seasonal allowances are not extra rations for farm workers but catering allowances to farms. We already have arrangements whereby a representative of the workers may collect them, if the farmer is unable or unwilling to do so, and I have recently increased the scale of allowances so that they can more easily be shared out; but this is as far as I feel able to go.

Mr. Smith

Is the Minister aware that this is one of the major bones of contention among the farming community, and that the troubles mentioned are not insuperable? If he will do something about it, he will become quite popular with the farming community.

Major Beamish

Can the Minister confirm that every fanner in the country has a catering licence?