§ Lieut.-Commander Tufnellasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the position of a small poultry-keeper wishing to obtain an allocation of chicken food to enable him to rear young pullets to replace the hens he already has; and whether, for general guidance, he can make a statement on the whole subject?
Mr. HudsonI am sending my hon. and gallant Friend a copy of a Press notice recently issued on this subject. As therein stated, an allowance of chicken food, proportionate to the number of poultry kept before the war, is being issued to all poultry keepers receiving their poultry rations from county war committees. This allowance is being spread over the period January to April. No special chick rearing allowances are being granted to poultry keepers receiving rations through the Domestic Poultry Keepers' Council since they are expected to obtain their replacements by the purchase of pullets. Special arrangements have been made to enable poultry breeders to produce pullets for sale to domestic poultry keepers.
§ Colonel Carverasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has notified the different authorities concerned that no more animal feeding-stuffs will be imported in the next six months; and whether cultivators will be permitted to 461W retain, if they wish, more of the animal feeding-stuffs they produce than they are at present allowed to keep?
Mr. HudsonThe answer to the first part of the Question is in the negative, but I have on numerous occasions stated that farmers should lay their plans on the assumption that there can be no reliance upon the importation of any feeding-stuffs as such. As regards the second part of the Question, with the exception of mill-able wheat and potatoes suitable for human consumption, which must be sold off the farm, there is at present no restriction on the retention by the grower of any feeding-stuffs that he has produced.
§ Colonel Carverasked the Minister of Agriculture whether, in view of the importance to ourselves, and to other countries, of the maintenance of our pedigree stock, it is proposed to allot them special rations of feeding-stuffs in the winter of 1942–43?
Mr. HudsonScales of rations for the various classes of livestock for next winter have not yet been fixed, and will have to be determined in due course in the light of the supply situation. My hon. and gallant Friend may rest assured that the importance to the nation of the preservation of pedigree stock will not be overlooked.