§ Sir R. Glynasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is yet in a position to state when work will be commenced on the establishment of three experimental central slaughter-houses; how long it will be before the results of the working of these centres can be a guide as to future policy; and further, in view of the lack of cold storage and freezing facilities throughout the country, whether he will consider calling a meeting of the refrigeration industry to discuss the question of increasing accommodation to deal with the carcases of animals that would, under any emergency slaughter policy, be thrown on the market in large quantities?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonAs regards the first part of the question, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given on the 28th November to the hon. Member of the Forest of Dean (Mr. Price). It will, I think, be apparent from the terms of that reply that no indication can be given, at the present stage, as to the date when work will be commenced on the building of the three experimental slaughter-houses. As regards the second part of the question, until the three central slaughter-houses have begun operations, it would be premature to attempt to estimate what period must elapse before the results of the experiments can be used as a guide to future policy.
With regard to the third part of the question, I would refer my hon. and gallant Friend to the reply given by the President of the Board of Trade to my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, East (Mr. Temple Morris) on 14th November, to which I have, at present, nothing further to add.