§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are aware that the substantial amount by which our consumption of meat is exceeding our supply is causing grave anxiety, and whether they are prepared to make a statement on stocks of fresh meat, and on their ability to meet the present ration of one shilling's worth of fresh meat per week.]
§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, the ratio of consumption to supplies shows some variation from time to time, but taking the calendar year 1946 as a whole, the total supplies were somewhat in excess of total consumption. For reasons given more than once to the House, I cannot agree to disclose the stock position. So far as the last part of the question is concerned, the first six months of the year are usually the most difficult from the point of view of supplies, and it would be premature to give any firm opinion about the prospects for this period.
LORD LLOYDWill the noble Lord please state, in view of the progressive decrease in the last few months of 1946 of both foreign-produced meat and home-produced meat, whether His Majesty's Government will take every possible step to raise the production of home-produced meat in the future?
§ LORD HENDERSONMy Lords, I can assure the noble Lord that His Majesty's Government have every intention of doing exactly what he has asked.