30. Mr. Herdasked the Minister of Food how much of the additional 148,900 tons of butcher's meat being distributed on ration this year compared with 1951, consists of red meat, that is, beef, mutton and lamb.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAbout 98,000 tons is beef, mutton and lamb. The balance is pork.
§ Mr. SorensenWill the Minister say how much that works out per head of extra red meat?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI could not do that on the spur of the moment, but it is 98,000 tons more.
§ 32. Mr. Willeyasked the Minister of Food how the amount of ration quality beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork he expects to distribute during this current year compares with the amount distributed in 1950.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeDuring the current year we expect to distribute 1,172,700 tons of ration quality beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork. This compares with 1,023,800 tons in 1951.
§ Mr. WilleyWhen does the right hon. and gallant Gentleman expect that we shall be eating as much meat as we were in 1950?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeWe shall not if I do what the hon. Member and his friends did in 1950—distributed 70,000 tons more than they received.
§ Mr. WilleyThe right hon. and gallant Gentleman knows that my right hon. Friend and I were not able to do the impossible any more than he could; but would he answer the question? It is surely a proper question on which I am entitled to a reply. When does the Minister expect that we shall be consuming the amount of meat we were consuming in 1950?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI should think probably in a very short time from the way we are going on now; there are improvements week by week.
§ Mr. Harold DaviesIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that we were importing in 1948 about 9,000 tons of canned meat and have now reached the colossal figure of 144,000 tons? Does he not think that if this currency were diverted to coarse grains it might enable British farmers to produce more home-grown beef in the United Kingdom than the canned stuff which we are importing?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI do not think that the hon. Member's figures for canned meat are quite accurate, but in any case we are doing everything possible to increase the livestock of this country and meat consumption has now increased by about 15 per cent. since last year.