§ Mr. J. Morrisonasked the Minister of Food if he will publish a list of the amounts and prices per ton of all imports of meat in the past 12 months which have been bought by his Department in a single transaction, and not as part of a long-term contract; and for the total loss incurred by the sale of these consignments at the controlled home prices.
§ Mr. WebbDuring the year ended 31st March, 1951, my Department purchased 7,156 tons of carcase meat and offal from countries with which we have no long-term arrangements, representing 1.17 per cent. by weight of the total purchases of imported carcase meat and offal. The net loss incurred on the sale of these supplies was about £538,000. It is not my Department's normal practice to disclose purchase prices, and it would be against the public interest to do so in this case.