§ Mr. Digbyasked the Minister of Food if he is aware that tins of pure fat, manufactured in Hull and London by British Creameries, Ltd., are being sold in East Africa, where supplies of fat are plentiful;
— JANUARY TO DECEMBER, 1946. JANUARY TO JUNE, 1947. Crop. Purchases. Crop. Purchases. Mill. lbs. Mill. lbs. Av. cost per lb. Mill. lbs. Mill. lbs. Av. cost per lb. d. d. India … … … 580.2 339.3 18.009 229.5 132.2 18.405 Ceylon … … … 279.2 305.5 21.252 144.3 53.2 22.777 It should be noted that (a) the average costs quoted above are ex-warehouse port of shipment, and (b) crop and purchase periods are not directly comparable as there is a time lag between production on tea estates on which crop statistics are based and actual purchases by the Ministry at the ex-warehouse stage in each country. For this reason, and as will be apparent from the above figures, percentage relationships between crop and purchase quantities are pointless.
198Wand what is the reason for the export of fat from the United Kingdom where supplies are so scarce.
§ Mr. J. StracheyThe only cooking fat exported from the United Kingdom to East Africa this year was a small quantity (6 tons) sent to Nyasaland at the request of the Governor. This fat is included in the oils and fats allocated to the United Kingdom by the International Emergency Food Council for supply to territories for which His Majesty's Government has a measure of responsibility.