§ 27. Mr. J. H. Hareasked the Minister of Food whether he is prepared to contribute to the loss sustained in an experiment to supply packed meals to farm workers in an area of East Suffolk which was started by the Women's Voluntary Service and National Farmers' Union with the encouragement of his Department.
§ Mr. WebbMy Department gave all the help it could to this particular scheme, as it does to similar schemes: but it cannot accept financial responsibility for them.
§ Mr. HareIn view of the fact that the loss involved is only something under £5, and as the information obtained by the Ministry as a result of this experiment was most valuable, does not the Minister think that, as a matter of principle, he should contribute?
§ Mr. WebbBut Parliament has not voted me that particular £5. In any event, our relationship with the W.V.S. is quite friendly. In other aspects of the very valuable work they are doing, for which we are very grateful, they do in fact have cover, and on balance I think they feel that they are all right.