§ 60. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Food if, in view of the quality of Australian beef being supplied under the bulk purchase agreement, he will allow 902 normal trading to be resumed, with appropriate price variations according to grade, so that more good quality meat may again be shipped to Britain.
§ Mr. WebbGrade for grade there is little, if any, difference between the quality of Australian beef shipped to-day and that received before the war. I have no reason to think that there would be an improvement in quality if private trading were resumed.
§ Mr. HurdIs the Minister aware that so long as we do not engage in competitive trading when buying beef we shall be given merely the leavings of the Australian trade, including a great quantity of low-grade carcase meat not fit to be distributed in the weekly ration?
§ Mr. WebbAs the hon. Member knows, the Australian Government is very anxious that we should conduct our relations there with the Government or with the buying and selling producer boards which the Government recognise there. We are now engaged in working out long-term plans to deal with this problem and this will inevitably involve entering into arrangements with those buying and selling boards.
§ Mr. HarrisonWould not the result of the course advocated by the hon. Member for Newbury (Mr. Hurd) be a considerable increase in price for this type of meat?