§ Mr. MILLARasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether his attention has been called to complaints received from flour millers that they are unable to obtain sufficient supplies of barley for milling purposes under the arrangement which permits malsters to purchase barley at 5s. 3d. a quarter more than the price at which it can be sold for milling purposes: and whether the Food 398W Controller will take steps to secure that the manufacture of bread shall come before the production of beer and that flour millers and bakers shall have the first call in future on barley to the full extent of their requirements?
§ Mr. CLYNESAs I informed the hon. Member for Gainsborough on 31st October, it is expected that so soon as threshing becomes more general any difficulty experienced by millers in obtaining an adequate supply of barley at the authorised price will disappear without any necessity for further action.
§ Mr. MILLARasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether any and, if so, what restrictions are at present placed upon the purchase of barley and other cereals by brewers and maltsters; and if he can state the quantity of barley and other grain which is at present held by them?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe purchase of barley by brewers and maltsters is limited as to price by Clause 3 (b) of the Grain (Prices) Order. It is limited as to quantity by the fact that no person holding a licence to malt may purchase barley in excess of the requirements authorised under his licence at a price higher than can be paid by an ordinary buyer. The stocks of barley in maltsters' hands on 1st November were 164,000 tons