EGGS. (Hansard, 12 June 1941)

Major Lloyd George

pursuant to his reply [OFFICIAL REPORT, 10th June, 1941; Col. 26 Vol. 372] supplied the following statement: The Ministry of Food proposes shortly to take control of home-produced eggs and to undertake their distribution to together with imported eggs, through the normal channels of trade. In order that supplies may be equitably distributed, consumers have been asked to register for eggs with retailers. Each retailer will be required to nominate a supplier who may be a wholesaler or a licensed packer, but not a producer or No. 1 distributor, and to provide him with the total number of registered customers. Retailers may not nominate more than one supplier for each retail shop, but may, of course, nominate one supplier for several shops. Before any nomination is made the retailer should ascertain that the wholesaler can accept it. Local food offices will be supplied with lists of wholesalers and licensed packers on the Ministry's register. In the interests of economy of transport, it is not intended that retailers should be permitted to nominate suppliers whose premises are outside the port area in which the retailer is situated, save in cases where these premises are the nearest to the retailer. The Ministry also reserves the right to cancel any nomination which appears to involve an unnecessary transport of eggs and to transfer it to another wholesaler. Wholesalers who receive nominations totalling less than 6,000 registered consumers will draw supplies from wholesalers with more than 6,000 registered consumers, who in turn will draw supplies from the Ministry of Food. Wholesalers should nominate a supplier within their port area for his purpose and provide him with the total number of their registered consumers. Licensed packers, who were in business in the egg trade with warehouse accommodation and adequate collection and delivery facilities for not less than the 12 months ended 31st August, 1939, may accept retail nominations as wholesalers, but packers not possessing the above qualifications will only be permitted to accept such nominations from retailers within 10 miles of their station. Exceptions may be made in certain areas of Scotland. A licensed packer will only be permitted to sell eggs in shell by retail from premises from which he sold eggs by retail before September 3rd, 1939, but this permission will not extend to sales of eggs in shell by retail from the licensed packing station or from any part of the premises of which the licensed packing station forms a part. The requirements of establishments (i.e. residential establishments, catering establishments and institutions) will be expressed in terms of consumer registrations. If an establishment purchases by retail, it will register with a retailer in the same way as a consumer; if it purchases by wholesale it will proceed in the same way as a retailer. No establishment, the requirements of which amount to less than 50 consumer registrations, will be allowed to purchase wholesale. Retailers and establishments buying by wholesale should have nominated their supplies and informed both the supplier and the local Food Office of the total number of registered consumers not later than 21st June. On that 346W date, or immediately after, nominated suppliers should inform the Ministry of Food, Eggs Branch, Colwyn Bay, of the number of nominations received, distinguishing between retailers, multiples and secondary wholesalers and giving the gross total of consumer registrations represented by these nominations. Supplies will be allocated on the basis of these consumer registrations. The methods where by a nominated supplier will receive his supplies will be announced later.