98. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Food whether he will give an assurance that next season, in view of the failure of his Department's policy of rationing potatoes, the policy will be a high flat rate for all potatoes, which will cut out the varying prices according to grade and month and make certain that an adequate supply of potatoes will be available to the housewives for the future.
§ Mr. StracheyNo. Such a proposal would certainly ensure a very full supply at the beginning of the season, but it would give no inducement to market or even to grow supplies for consumption in later months, by which time storage costs and other charges have to be met.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Food how many British-grown potatoes of the 1947 crop have been sent, or are about to be sent, to Germany.
§ Mr. StracheyNone.