§ 2 Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Food (1) if he is aware that on Saturday, 20th June, meat was sold off the ration in Newcastle; and what was the reason for this;
(2) if he is aware that on Saturday, 20th June, in Newcastle public notices were exhibited informing the public that meat was on sale to all; and what action has been taken against those concerned for contravening the rationing orders;
(3) what information has been given to his Department about meat being sold off the ration in Newcastle on Saturday, 20th June; and whether he will make a statement.
§ 12. Mr. Shortasked the Minister of Food whether his Department authorised the sale of meat off the ration which took place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne on 20th June; and what action he is taking.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI would refer the hon. Members to the reply given to the hon. Member for Durham, Northwest (Mr. Murray) on 29th June.
§ Mr. LewisI heard that reply and it does not answer the Questions on the Order Paper. I asked what action is to be taken. Is the Minister further aware 371 that yesterday the butchers in London and other places were selling meat off the ration, and as this is a contravention of the rationing order and we are now getting rationing by price instead of through the ration books, will the Minister do something about it?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI think the hon. Member will find that the answer to which I referred him covers the subject.
§ 5. Lieut.-Colonel Liptonasked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to dispose of surplus stocks arising from unsold meat rations.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAs I announced on 26th June, I am, from 5th July, making arrangements which will enable retail butchers to sell surplus meat off the ration.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonIs the Minister aware that meat rationing has now virtually collapsed in this country and that he cannot hope to sell this uneatable ewe either by increasing the ration or selling it off the ration or by increasing the butchers' profit margin? What is he going to do about it? The whole situation is so impossible that the public would much prefer that the Minister should take this uneatable ewe off the ration and sell it for what it can fetch.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe statements made about this matter are greatly exaggerated. The proportion of what the hon. and gallant Member calls uneatable ewe is very small indeed and will be smaller in the future. Why the hon. and gallant Member should complain when people are getting all the meat they want, I do not know.
§ Mr. ChetwyndWill the Minister consider a reduction in price to enable the poorer people to buy meat?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe hon. Member will appreciate that in this position of rationing meat of various prices has to be distributed as fairly as possible throughout the whole country.
§ 6. Mr. Willeyasked the Minister of Food the amount of bacon and meat not taken up on the ration for the latest available four weeks' period.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeSix thousand six hundred tons and 830 tons, respectively, during the four weeks ended 13th June.
§ Mr. WilleyWould the Minister agree that one of his present immediate difficulties is the exceptional amount of ancient mutton on the market because of the effect of wool prices on supplies from Australia? Would the right hon. and gallant Gentleman further agree that the only way to tackle this matter from a businesslike point of view is to alter the price schedule and allow a subsidy increase to cover that difference? Regarding bacon, the problem is the same; the Minister ought to amend the schedule and increase the subsidy to cover the alteration.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI cannot agree with what the hon. Member says about the "exceptional amount" of imported mutton. The total amount of imported mutton on the ration is 10 per cent., half of which is wethers and is perfectly good meat. With regard to bacon, the fact remains that the C bacon which is bought off the ration is greatly in excess of the amount not taken up.
§ 11. Mr. Shortasked the Minister of Food how many meat rations were not taken up in the county borough of Newcastle-upon-Tyne during the week ending 20th June, 1953.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAt the most, about 6,000, or 2 per cent. of the ration issue.
§ Mr. ShortDoes not this figure indicate that in the city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, part of which is represented by the right hon. and gallant Gentleman, while sections of the community are getting as much meat of the best cuts as they want to buy, the poorer people are getting none at all? Is not the new arrangement announced by the Ministry part of the illusion of phoney prosperity being built up by the Government?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe "illusion" has been well supported today. The fact that I said 6,000 has nothing to do with what sections of the community are getting it. The take-up there varies from period to period. In the period before it was nearly 100 per cent.
§ 14. Mr. H. Nichollsasked the Minister of Food if he has considered the reports of the rejection by butchers in Peterborough of ewe mutton unsuitable for sale on the ration; and whether he will make arrangements to ensure that the butchers in Peterborough will not be allocated any disproportionate share of the least popular cuts of mutton in future.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeA small quantity of mutton was rejected by these traders. It was no different in quality from mutton issued to other traders and no more than a fair share. My hon. Friend can be assured that it is our constant endeavour to distribute the less popular cuts over the country on a fair and equitable basis.
§ Mr. NichollsIs my right hon. Friend aware that in the grading centres of Peterborough, Oundle and Thrapston the figures show that a large amount of good English meat is produced? Since his reply last week showed that certain other areas were getting a little above the average, we should like to be assured that the areas where we are producing it are not getting below the average.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeIn the case referred to last week my hon. Friend showed that the area referred to was getting a little more than the average. In the constituency of my hon. Friend the proportion of this ewe mutton is a little less than the average throughout the country.
§ Mrs. MannIs the Minister aware that Scotland produces the finest quality butcher meat, and that we never see it, but what we are seeing is fat and gristle such as Peterborough is also suffering from? If he puts the matter right in Peterborough will the Minister also see that we in Scotland get good butcher meat to eat ourselves?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe hon. Lady will appreciate that because an area happens to be a meat-producing area it does not mean that all the meat goes there. Under a rationed distribution we have to spread the supplies available as fairly as possible. I have a feeling that I can trust Scotland to look after itself.
§ Captain WaterhouseIn view of these complaints about the rationing of meat, will my right hon. and gallant Friend 374 take an early opportunity to do away with rationing altogether?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeOf course that is the real solution, and as soon as possible it will be adopted.
§ 18 and 19. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Food (1) what further changes he now proposes to make in the value of the weekly meat ration;
(2) whether he will now state the precise terms upon which butchers can sell carcass meat ration-free; and how he proposes to amend the regulations formerly prohibiting this.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI do not propose to change the meat ration at present, but from 5th July butchers will be offered an extra two pennyworth of meat per ration book and any meat remaining after the ration demands of registered customers have been met may be sold ration free. Such extra sales need not be limited to registered customers. An amendment to the Meat (Rationing) Order, 1953, to give effect to this was laid before the House yesterday.
§ Mr. NabarroCan my right hon. and gallant Friend explain how choice cuts of meat will now be available under this new system on an equitable basis and how he can put a stop to these complaints that are becoming ever more numerous from all parts of the country that there is too much ewe mutton, bull beef and fat pork in circulation? Cannot he now announce a firm date for ending meat rationing and thus put a stop to this unsatisfactory state of affairs?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI am sorry that my hon. Friend has joined in the general exaggeration. He talks about fat mutton and pork. The distribution figures are known. The actual proportion of ewe mutton is 5 per cent. and the proportion of pork, now gradually diminishing, does not exceed 7 per cent. in any week.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonWill the Minister give an assurance that this extra two pennyworth on the meat ration which will operate in a few day's time will not consist exclusively of ewe mutton or these other unsaleable products in which he is so interested?
§ Mr. ManuelIs the Minister aware that we have been told repeatedly over 375 the past month, especially by his Parliamentary Secretary, that the meat ration was being uplifted week by week? If that is so, why is it necessary for him to introduce the new arrangement which he has described?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeIt is well known that at this time of the year there is a very great coming forward of home-killed meat. The purpose of the new arrangement is to utilise as much as possible. That is why it has been done. It has happened before.