68. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he is aware that, in October, 1946, a Glasgow firm, makers of confections, chocolates and preserves, received posters from the Central Office of Information urging employees to increase production, simultaneously with an announcement from the Ministry of Food indicating a reduction to 50 per cent. in the industry's allocation of cocoa beans; and, in view of the heavy public expense incurred by the posters, if he will take steps to prevent this waste of public money, having regard to the contradictory nature of this propaganda.
§ Mr. WhiteleyThe restriction by the Ministry of Food was, I understand, designed to reduce stocks held and not to curtail production. So far as possible, factories where production is held up by shortage of raw material have been removed from the distribution list for production posters.