§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food to what proportion of the population the white loaf, fortified in accordance with the undertaking given in July, 1940, by the then Parliamentary Secretary, is now supplied; what proportion the consumption of the national wheat-meal loaf now bears to the total consumption of bread in this country; what has been the expenditure to date by the Ministry in advertising the national wheat-meal loaf; and whether the Ministry has now abandoned or diminished such advertising?
Major Lloyd GeorgeWith regard to the first part of my hon. Friend's Question, figures relating to the proportion of the population to whom the fortified white loaf is now supplied are not available, but approximately 25 per cent. of the white bread and flour consumed in the United Kingdom is now being fortified with Vitamin B1. In so far as the second part of the Question is concerned, it is estimated that 7 per cent. of the bread consumed is in the form of the national wheatmeal loaf. The expenditure to date on advertising national wheatmeal is £29,000. The advertising has included many thousands of posters and similar material which are at present displayed in all parts of the country. The use of national wheatmeal bread and flour forms an important subject in the Ministry's Food Advice Service to housewives. The answer to the last part of my hon.1714W Friend's Question is in the negative. There is, however, a wide range of subjects to be covered in the space available for the Ministry's advertisements consequently there are periods during which there is space for no more than occasional mention of wheatmeal in advertisements primarily devoted to other subjects.