§ 2.55 p.m.
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, I beg to ask the first question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have altered the policy under which allocations of imported poultry for the Christmas trade are based on a trader's importations during the basic year 1938, and, if so, on what basis such allocations will in future be made.]
§ VISCOUNT HALLMy Lords, the general policy has not been altered. An exception to the existing distribution arrangements will, however, be made in the case of the retail co-operative societies, who are to be granted an increased allocation of imported poultry in order that their customers may receive a more appropriate share of total supplies than at present. The Co-operative Wholesale Society, as members of the Association of Wholesale Distributors of Imported Poultry and Rabbits, at present receive about 1½ per cent. of the total imported supplies of turkeys, other poultry and rabbits, and retail co-operative societies receive, in addition, a small quantity from other members of the Association for which no precise figures are available, but which is estimated not to exceed 3 per cent. of the total supplies.
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, if special allocations are to be made, would the noble Viscount point out to the Minister of Food that there are a number of other traders who would come into the category which could properly claim them? And would he, moreover, undertake that their cases will be looked into? Would the noble Viscount also point out to the Minister of Food—I think this is the better way of putting it, rather than asking him the direct question—that to base the increase in imported poultry on, say, meat registrations, is not an accurate method, because many trader, co-operative societies amongst them, obtained a large percentage of their pre-war turkey supplies from this country, and the imported poultries were divided up among them only in proportion to their reliance on imported poultry?
§ VISCOUNT HALLMy Lords, I think my right honourable friend has undertaken to consider similar claims for increased supplies from any other well-defined body of traders, but not from individual traders. I know he put it in that form for the reason that traders are organised Sand are represented in the organisation to which I have referred.
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, I beg to ask the second question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government, whether the Association of Wholesale Distributors of Imported Poultry and Rabbits, which has long been recognised by the Ministry of Food as the body to advise that Ministry in regard to the allocations of imported supplies of poultry and rabbits, were consulted, before the Minister of Food granted a special preferential 10 per cent. allocation of imported poultry and rabbits for Christmas to the co-operative societies.]
§ VISCOUNT HALLMy Lords, this decision was not discussed beforehand with the Association of Wholesale Distributors of Imported Poultry and Rabbits, which is an association of importers who, prior to September 3, 1939, habitually dealt in imported rabbits and/or poultry by wholesale. The Association is controlled by a Council on which the Ministry of Food have a majority vote, and its main function is to distribute imported rabbits and poultry in accordance with the Ministry's instructions. The Association was, however, immediately informed of the Ministry's decision in this matter so that the members could consider its implications before being asked to make the consequential changes in their distribution arrangements. The Association has made certain alternative suggestions for distributing this increased allocation which are now being considered by my right honourable friend.
§ LORD LLEWELLINMy Lords, is it not a fact that there was a two-way working in this matter? Naturally, the Minister must have the final responsibility, but is it not a fact that, until this recent decision, he was in all cases advised in the first instance by this body—on which, in fact, the co-operative societies are also represented?
§ VISCOUNT HALLI think it is true that he was so advised. It was mainly a question of distribution rather than of allocation. It is true that the Co-operative Wholesale Society were represented. The retail societies, which are distinct from the Wholesale Society, were not represented.
§ LORD LLEWELLINBut they work pretty well hand in glove.
§ VISCOUNT HALLAs a matter of fact, the position is rather surprising. The allocation to the Wholesale Society was only about 1½ per cent. of the total, whereas the distribution to the retail societies was about 3 per cent. I am sure the noble Lord, when he realises that 8,500,000 co-operative members in this country look to these organisations for distribution of commodities of this kind, cannot feel that the 1½ per cent. and the 3 per cent.—making a total of 4½ per cent. out of the 100 per cent. of imports of rabbits and poultry into this country—were adequate.
§ LORD LLEWELLINSurely some firms—firms of all sorts—relied before the war to a certain extent on imported poultry, while other firms relied much more on poultry raised in England, Scotland and Wales. Is it not wrong, therefore, to take general allocations when dealing with the particular problem of how much somebody ought to have out of the total supplies obtainable?
§ EARL HOWEDoes the noble Viscount mean to indicate by the answers he has just given that it is the policy of the Minister to give the individual trader a square deal as compared with the cooperative societies?
§ VISCOUNT HALLI have already pointed out that my right honourable friend is quite prepared to receive any representations from any organised body which feels that its members have a grievance in this matter.