§ Mr. R. MCNEILLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if he is aware of the complaints that are being made in regard to the quality of meat supplied to the trade in the Folkestone and Hythe district, some of which has recently been condemned by the sanitary inspector as unfit for human consumption; whether he is aware that individual traders find themselves at a disadvantage as compared with multiple shops as regards the meat they are able to obtain, and in particular that they are altogether unable to procure frozen lamb affording small joints, for which the demand is great; and if he will take steps to provide meat of good quality to the district and to secure its equitable distribution between the various classes of trader?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe meat allocated to the butchers in the districts referred to is of the same quality as that provided for all other parts of the country. It is necessarily inferior to the home-produced meat to which butchers are accustomed, but I am assured that next month's arrivals will be better. Measures have already been taken to ensure the equitable distribution of meat between multiple shops and individual traders, but the present supply of frozen lamb is very limited and quite insufficient to meet the prevailing demand.
Colonel THORNEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that during the last three weeks 1,009 quarters of beef were forwarded to Beading in open trucks; that the cloths in which the beef was packed were torn with handling during transit and the goods had been loaded without 48W the least attempt to stitch up the rents in the packing cloths, and that in consequence the beef arrived in a filthy condition; that the local butchers refused to handle it but were forced to do so under threats of the withdrawal of their licences; that 100 of these quarters and a quantity of pieces were afterwards condemned; if he will say who was responsible for this slovenly dispatch and waste; and if he will take action in the matter?
§ Mr. CLYNESI am informed that owing to the fact that other means of transport were not available at the time some of the meat recently dispatched to Reading was forwarded in open trucks. It is not, however, correct to state that the beef arrived in a filthy condition, though some of the consignment is said to have arrived very soft. The answer to the third part of the question is in the negative, and to the fourth part in the affirmative. The damage to the meat was due to the difficulties of transport under present conditions, especially during the recent spell of warm weather. I am glad to be able to add that efforts are now being made to accumulate reserve stocks of meat in all distributing centres so as to avoid the necessity of sending large quantities of meat before suitable arrangements can be made for its proper transport.