§ 88. Mr. Wardasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that many people are finding it impossible to bottle fruit for the winter owing to the shortage of preserving jars; and what steps he is taking to improve the supply of these jars.
§ Mr. BelcherYes, Sir. I much regret this shortage. The production of preserving jars has been maintained at about the same level over recent years, and the shortage is due to an increased demand as compared with before the war. I200W cannot promise an early improvement in the supply as the glass container manufacturers are heavily loaded with other important orders, but jam jars used with special closures are an adequate substitute, and there are sufficient supplies of the closures.