§ Major COLFOXasked the Food Controller if he is aware of the dissatisfaction caused among the working classes and others in agricultural districts through their inability to obtain cheese, owing to the supply being all diverted to industrial districts; and whether he will arrange that a proportion of the cheese supply shall be retained in country districts for those employed in heavy manual labour in agriculture, and that it should be on sale in the shops of country towns and villages?
§ Mr. McCURDYThe Food Controller is aware that there has been for some time a shortage in the supply of cheese, but the position is improving and larger distributions are now being made. It is not the case, as the hon. and gallant Member states, that all supplies from agricultural districts are being diverted to industrial districts. Supplies are allotted to each district in proportion to previous sales so that all dealers receive an equitable share of the quantities available; further, these distributions are supplemented by special allotments to districts in which the population consists largely of manual workers such as agricultural labourers and miners. These allotments are made on the recommendations of the Divisional Food Commissioners, who have special knowledge of the needs of the various areas in each division.