§ 32. Mr. Anthony Hurdasked the Minister of Food how far provision for refrigeration is being made at the new Government slaughterhouses to test the economy of reserving in cold store part of the increasingly heavy supplies of fat cattle and lambs marketed in the autumn at the end of the grazing season.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeNo express provision is being made, but I intend that experiments should be made in adapting the chilled room accommodation.
§ Mr. HurdDoes my right hon. and gallant Friend not agree that it is high time somebody started to tackle this problem so that we make the best use of home-killed meat throughout the year?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeSteps have already been taken to this effect, as I mentioned in my reply.
§ Mr. Maurice WebbWould the Minister give the House some information about the nature of these experiments? As he knows, this is an important matter. It is essential to try to even out the supplies of meat, if we can, over the whole year. We are all embarrassed by this flush in the autumn. Could he give the House some details of the experiments that are taking place?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI could not do so in question and answer. The right hon. Gentleman knows as well as I do that this is an extremely difficult matter for a country which is not equipped for this kind of industry, but we are, and have been for some time, seeing if we can possibly do something to avoid the flush which we get in the autumn.