§ 35. Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Food how much bacon he is buying from Canada this year; and how much Canadian cheese and butter he proposes to buy.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Dr. Charles Hill)No purchases of Canadian bacon or butter have been made this year but 2, 300 tons of Canadian cheese were bought last January. It is unlikely that more dollars will be available for the purchase of any of these products this year.
§ Mr. HurdMay we take it that, as opportunity occurs and we have more dollars, we shall seek to restore the traditional trade with Canada in these foods?
§ Dr. HillI appreciate my hon. Friend's point, but I think he will realise that it is essentially a matter of dollars.
§ Mr. FernyhoughIn view of the fact that the British public last year had 81, 000 tons of butter less than they had in 1951, does not the hon. Gentleman think that it is time that the Ministry bucked up their ideas and made available to the people in 1953 the same amount of butter that they had in the last year of the Labour Government?
§ Dr. HillIt is also true that, in 1951, the butter issued was substantially in excess of that received, the balance being taken out of stock, and that last year we took occasion to rebuild those stocks.