HL Deb 14 March 1918 vol 29 cc450-3

VISCOUNT CHAPLIN had the following Question on the Paper—

To ask the Controller of Food—

  1. 1. What is the total number of cattle, either immature or otherwise, which have been killed for civilian or other purposes under his Orders since the prices recommended by him were adopted by the Cabinet, apart from those which were slaughtered for the Army.
  2. 2. Were any two-year-old cattle included among them; and how many cattle over that age suitable for slaughter are there left now; and to move for Papers.
The noble Viscount said: My Lords, before I put the Question which stands in my name, I wish to be allowed to say a word to account for the disappearance of another Question* which was on the Paper for to-day, but which disappeared last night. I felt it my duty to remove it on being asked by the Government to postpone it on the grounds, first of all, that the representative of the Board of Agriculture (the Duke of Marlborough) was ill, and, secondly, that Lord Milner, who would otherwise have taken the place of the noble Duke, was engaged on important war business in the Supreme Council. I therefore had no alternative except to take the course I did. I desire to say this because I had received many appeals and letters entreating me to raise the subject, and I wish to add that I have put that Question * To ask His Majesty's Government the following questions—
  1. 1. How many acres of grass land have been broken up by the orders of the Government during 1917 and 1918; and how much of this has been done by tractors, steam ploughing, or horses respectively.
  2. 2. How much of the land so broken up has been properly cleaned and prepared for the spring sowings this season, or is being so prepared now; and whether the requisite labour for its care and good cultivation afterwards has been arranged for and will be forthcoming.
  3. 3. Is any more grass land, not broken up already, under orders for ploughing, and if so, how much; and in view of the probable serious loss in the crops to be sown so late in the season, will the Government reconsider the order for ploughings by which the hay crop would be lost until after that crop has been taken, and thereby ensure one crop of value, weather per mitting; and to move for Papers.
 down for Thursday next, when I hope that we may hear something that will reassure many of those who are extremely anxious on the subject, before we separate for the Recess.

Turning to the Question on the Paper, after the extremely interesting historical reminiscences we have heard this evening with regard to St. Olave's Church, I feel that your Lordships will not thank me for entering upon the somewhat prosaic question of the shortness of meat; but it may relieve the House to know that I have put down this Question solely for the purpose of obtaining information, and that I have no intention whatever of raising a debate on the subject if I can get the information—which I hope and believe I shall do—without a debate.

I notice with great regret that the toll of the submarines appears to be rising again, and I think it is very desirable, in view of the present shortage of meat, that we should know as far as possible how we stand in this country with regard to our own resources. I have raised the question of the two-rear-old cattle because I am informed upon very high authority that this is a matter of great importance. I understand that it is only the cattle two years old and upwards which fatten at all readily without concentrated food. It is most important, in my opinion, that we should know to what extent our stock has been called upon already; because the fact that undoubtedly a great number of the cattle that have been slaughtered under these Orders were immature has naturally meant that cattle in greater numbers have been killed than would have been the case in ordinary circumstances. I mean that if you kill numbers of immature cattle, you sometimes have to kill two where in the ordinary course you would kill only one. I do not think that I have anything further to add by way of reasons for asking this Question, and I now beg to put it to the Food Controller.

THE FOOD CONTROLLER (LORD RHONDDA)

My Lords, I am not quite sure what the noble Viscount means in the first part of his Question. He asks what is the total number of cattle, either immature or otherwise, which have been killed for civilian or for other purposes; and he says later on that he does not refer to Army purposes.

VISCOUNT CHAPLIN

I say quite apart from Army purposes.

LORD RHONDDA

You say "civilian and other purposes," apart from Army purposes. What are the "other purposes"?

VISCOUNT CHAPLIN

I class them all under your Orders.

LORD RHONDDA

I want to be clear. The figures I am going to give to the noble Viscount now are estimates.

VISCOUNT CHAPLIN

Estimates?

LORD RHONDDA

Yes, they are mere estimates. The noble Viscount refers in his Question to the prices "recommended by me which were adopted by the Cabinet." I think, after Lord Milner's recent explanation, the noble Viscount will accept the circumstances under which these prices were adopted, and the circumstances under which the Order was issued.

VISCOUNT CHAPLIN

Perfectly.

LORD RHONDDA

The Order was issued on August 29. Between September 1 and February 28 (both dates inclusive) the number of cattle slaughtered is estimated at 1,378,000, apart from those killed for Army purposes. About 75,000 were killed for Army purposes in addition. The period I have given is one of six months.

VISCOUNT CHAPLIN

They were killed under your Orders?

LORD RHONDDA

Since the date of the issue of the Order. Of these 1,378,000 cattle, it is estimated that 1,100.000 were two years old and upwards. That is an estimate based on the Board of Agriculture figures. Therefore the number under two years old is 278,000. It is very difficult to give even an approximate estimate of the number of cattle available for slaughter and now being fattened in the, country. The best estimate—and really I do not know that one can regard it as more than a considered guess—is that there are 260,000 cattle being fattened at the present time in this country, plus the number which have been added for fattening from stores between December 4 and February 4. I cannot make even a guess at that latter number, but it is in addition to the 260,000 which it is estimated were being fattened on December 4. As it has some bearing on the question, it may interest the noble Viscount to know that the number of cattle slaughtered during the twelve months ended June. 4, 1917—before any restriction was placed on prices—was 2,744,000; and that figure compares with the slaughter of 2,490,000 cattle in the twelve months ended June 4, 1916. My point there is—and I wish to draw the noble Viscount's special attention to it—that before any maximum prices were fixed at all by my Department there was an increase of something like 10 per cent.—250,000—cattle killed in twelve months.