§ Mr. JOWETTasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if he will give the number of sheep and cattle in Great Britain at the beginning of the War and at present; the amount of tonnage now required for the transport of food for these; and what steps he proposes to take for increasing the consumption of home-grown in preference to imported meat, so as to render available further tonnage for the transport of cereals?
Captain BATHURSTThe number of sheep and cattle in Great Britain on 4th June, 1914, and 6th June, 1916, is returned as follows:
1914. 1916. Sheep … 24,285,514 … 25,006,987 Cattle … 7,092,918 … 7,442,185 It is not possible to make a satisfactory estimate on the point raised in the second part of the question, as returns of imports are given for the United Kingdom as a whole, and as feeding stuffs are largely derived from materials imported for other purposes, such as wheat and oil seeds. The question of policy raised in the last part of the question is, at the present moment, receiving the earnest consideration of the Government.