HC Deb 21 February 1955 vol 537 cc867-9
28 Mr. Nabarro

asked the Minister of Food (1) the total meat consumption of the nation for 12 months ended on the latest convenient date and the comparative figure for 12 months prior to the end of rationing; and by how much percentum, and in tons, respectively, meat consumption has increased;

(2) the total bacon and ham consumption of the nation for 12 months ended on the latest convenient date and the comparative figure for 12 months prior to the end of rationing; and by how much percentum, and in tons, respectively, bacon and ham consumption has increased;

(3) to state, respectively, the total butter and the total margarine consumption of the nation for 12 months ended on the latest convenient date and the comparative figures for 12 months prior to the end of rationing; and by how much per centum, and in tons, respectively, butter and margarine consumption has increased.

Mr. Amory

As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's leave, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Nabarro

Why is my right hon. Friend anxious that the House should not be given the benefit orally of these highly satisfactory figures of the increased consumption of basic foodstuffs? Is it not a fact that the consumption of meat since the end of rationing has increased by no less than 12½ per cent., and that of other foodstuffs has increased commensurately? Is not this evidence of the success of the policy of Her Majesty's Government?

Mr. Mitchison

On a point of order. Is it in order for an hon. Member to give, by way of a supplementary question, the answer to the Question which he himself has asked?

Mr. Speaker

That is rather a complicated question, but the truth is that supplementary questions from both sides of the House frequently seem to me to consist more of giving information than of seeking it.

Mr. Nabarro

Further to that point of order. Is it not the fact that the essence of a successful supplementary question should be that the Member knows the answer before he puts it?

Mr. Speaker

If I may say so, the essence of a successful supplementary question is that it should be short.

Dr. Summerskill rose

——

Mr. Nabarro

On a point of order. I was allowed to ask a supplementary question to my original Question, and as nearly the whole of Question Time has been monopolised by Members of the Opposition Front Bench may I protect the rights of private Members on the Government side of the House by asking that my supplementary question should now be answered by the Minister?

Mr. Speaker

The Minister said that he was circulating the answer to the hon. Gentleman's Question in the OFFICIAL REPORT, and it seems to me that a further supplementary question in advance of the publication of that answer might be a waste of time.

Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenport

On a point of order. My hon. Friend had three Questions down to the Minister. Would he not have been entitled to refuse to accept one answer to those three Questions, and to have insisted on a separate answer, in which event he could have asked three supplementary questions? But my hon. Friend played cricket. He said, "No, I will put them all together." Therefore, could he not, on those grounds, ask a much longer supplementary question?

Mr. Speaker

Order. We must pass on to the next Question. I must make it clear to the House that when a Question is asked for information which consists

Because estimates of unrationed consumption are available only for the six months July-December, 1954, the table gives comparison between the consumption in this six months, and in the 12 months prior to derationing, i.e. July, 195.-June, 1954. Since derationing and decontrol took place in the middle of 1954, it has not been possible to measure consumption with the same accuracy or on precisely the same basis as under conditions of control.
Kind of Food Consumption in July, 1953-June, 1954 (thousand tons) Consumption in July-December, 1954 (Provisional) (thousand tons) Increase or Decrease
Total Monthly average Total Monthly average per cent.
Meat (Great Britain) 1,950 162 1,100 184 +13
Bacon and ham (United Kingdom) 569 47 280 46 - 2
Butter (United Kingdom) 312 26 170 28 + 8
Margarine (United Kingdom) 398 33 220* 37 + 11
* This figure is the sum of home-production and imports and is not strictly comparable with the consumption estimate for July-December, 1953. Home production during July-December, 1953, amounted to 215,000 tons and imports were negligible.