§ Sir COURTENAY WARNERasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food on what system the sugar for making jam is being distributed, as many cases have occurred of applications being made by those who have acres of fruit being ignored and sugar has been frequently granted to those who have never had enough fruit to make jam in former years?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANApplication forms' for sugar for making jam were supplied to those private growers of fruit who wrote for them in manner prescribed in the notices appearing in the Press. It is possible that, in dealing with 750,000 cases, some misuse of these forms may have occurred, but wherever sufficient evidence is obtainable to prove an offence under the Sugar (Domestic Preserving) Order, a prosecution will be instituted. If the hon. Member will bring any specific cases of unfair distribution to my notice, immediate inquiry will be made.
Mr. MacCALLUM SCOTTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry 396W of Food whether he is aware that it is the practice of retail fruit merchants to preserve quantities of fruit during the soft fruit season in order to prevent their being wasted; and whether he proposes to make any arrangements for the supply of sugar to them for this purpose?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am not aware that the practice referred to prevails to any great extent, but any retail fruit merchant who received sugar for this purpose in 1915 is now receiving 50 per cent, of the same quantity. No additional sugar can be supplied owing to heavy losses and general scarcity of tonnage.
Mr. SCOTTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that quantities of fruit are preserved at homo by housewives other than those who grow fruit at home; and whether he proposes to make any arrangements for such domestic fruit preservers to obtain supplies of sugar?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am aware that, fruit is preserved by housewives who do not themselves grow the fruit in question, but I regret that owing to losses of sugar cargoes and scarcity of tonnage no special provision of sugar for such cases can be made.
§ Mr. WILESasked when the replies to applications for sugar for jam making made by private growers of fruit will be made?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANSugar for domestic preserving is now being distributed as rapidly as possible to the retailers and by the latter to their customers in response to the applications made.