§ 37. Mr. Dodds-Parkerasked the Minister of Food the total amount of meat received from the Argentine in the last six months which has been condemned as unfit for consumption before retailing in the United Kingdom; what percentage of the amount purchased this represents; who is responsible for its condition; and who will pay the loss.
§ Mr. StracheyJust under 87½ tons of Argentine carcase meat, or 0.065 per cent. of purchases, was so condemned in the six months ended 30th November, 1946. Separate figures are not available for Argentine canned meat, but the proportion condemned is probably not far from the average: 0.34 per cent. The responsibility for these losses has not yet been worked out, and may rest with the sellers, shipping companies, underwriters, or inland transport or storage undertakings, according to the circumstances of each case. Normally, my Department bears only a small proportion of the total losses.