§ Mr. Robert Morganasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he will state, for public guidance, whether the storage of butter and bacon in bulk quantities is a matter of common practice; whether he is aware that butter can be stored at a temperature of 16 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit for periods up to 12 months, and bacon at a temperature of 15 to 16 degrees Fahrenheit for periods up to three months; and whether, under these circumstances, he is arranging for butter and bacon to be stored in bulk?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIn regard to the storage of butter, I would refer my hon. Friend to the very full statement on this subject made by my right hon. Friend during the Debate yesterday.
The storage of bacon in bulk quantities is not a common practice. Given suitable conditions, it is possible to store bacon at a temperature of 15 to 16 degrees 453W Fahrenheit for periods up to three months, but not without some risk of deterioration. My right hon. Friend is arranging for the storage, in cold store, of a moving reserve of several weeks' supply of bacon, in preparation for the commencement of rationing.