HC Deb 26 February 1951 vol 484 cc1728-9
15. Mr. Nabarro

asked the Minister of Food the meat content, and the content of other materials, including the skin, at present prescribed by his Department for the manufacture of the recent 65 per cent. minimum meat content pork sausage.

Mr. Webb

The minimum meat content prescribed for beef sausages is 50 per cent., and for pork 65 per cent. There is no prescribed content for other materials, including the skin.

Mr. Nabarro

Can the Minister say why this delectable morsel, vernacularised as a "Webb's special," has completely disappeared from the market? Is it not the fact that the Ministry are withholding supplies of pork, and can we expect the same untimely fate for the Webb milk sausage which has just been announced?

Mr. Webb

These are rather silly questions. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] We are trying to face rather serious difficulties quite sensibly. I myself, in association with the trade, at the beginning of what has come to be called, not at my request, the "Webb sausage," have sought an improvement in the quality of the pork sausage. Now, at the request of the private trade—not of the Government —I have agreed to a supplement to the feeding of the people, and I think that the Opposition should take a little more care about the kind of innuendos which they put about at Question Time.

Air Commodore Harvey

Will the right hon. Gentleman tell the House what makes up the other 50 per cent. or the other 35 per cent.?

Mr. Nabarro

What useful purpose is served by the Ministry putting out a specification for a sausage which then cannot be bought in the shops?

Mr. Webb

That is quite wrong—it can be bought in the shops.

Hon. Members

Where?