§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he can state, separately, for England, Scotland and Wales, the number of small shopkeepers who have been deprived of their right to trade in rationed goods where the number of customers was under 25; how many have succeeded in retaining their customers on grounds of hardship; and how many have been compelled to close down altogether consequent upon the imposition of these restrictions?
Major Lloyd GeorgeStatistics up to date show that the number of small shopkeepers to whom supplies of one or more rationed foods are no longer being made available was:—
England 11,526 Wales 921 Scotland 702 Northern Ireland 194 United Kingdom 13,343 The number of those to whom supplies are being continued on grounds of "hardship" is:—
England 6,613 Wales 525 Scotland 618 Northern Ireland 235 United Kingdom 7,991 I am not aware of any instance in which any shopkeeper has been compelled to close down altogether as a result of the decisions reached by Food Control Committees.