Eggs (Hansard, 9 July 1952)

§ 18. Mr. Dodds
asked the Minister of Food in view of the discrepancy between the increased production of home-produced eggs and the official egg allocation, what progress has been made in the special investigation by his officials into this problem.

§ The Minister of Food (Major Lloyd George)
I would refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Coventry. South (Miss Burton) on 2nd July.

§ Mr. Dodds
That answer is not good enough. Does not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman appreciate that the black market in eggs has risen to tremendous proportions with the change of Government, and that it is the general opinion that even large poultry keepers are breaking the law? Is he not aware that people are looking to him to take action to bring some of these culprits to book and not to de-control eggs, which may mean that people get less eggs than before?

§ Major Lloyd George
The answer to which I referred said that I was looking into this question at the moment. With regard to the question of the black market having increased since this Government came in, all I can say is that the allocation of eggs is practically the same this year as it was last year.

§ Mr. Dodds
It is not.

§ Major Lloyd George
The allocation per ration book is just what it was last year, having been slightly above it at the beginning of the year. The figure was 62, which is practically the same as last year. As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary said, until we have developed a new scheme it is either a question of de-control or increased inspection.

§ Mr. Dodds
The Minister in his own words said that there were as many eggs given out this year as there were last year, but is it not a fact that in the aggregate the number is many millions more, and therefore they are going to the black market?

§ Major Lloyd George
The hon. Gentleman is wrong. Egg production is less this year than it was last year.

§ 19. Mr. Shepherd
asked the Minister of Food the price paid by his Department for shell eggs to producers in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland and Eire, respectively.

§ Major Lloyd George
The current price to home producers for first-quality eggs is 4s. 6d. per dozen. It would be contrary to practice to disclose the prices my Department is paying to over-seas suppliers.