§ 64. Mr. Yorkasked the Minister of Food what quantity of flour was imported 110W into the United Kingdom during the years 1949 and 1950; what was the extraction rate of such flour; whether a pro-rata quantity of milling offals accompanied such flour; and whether such quantity of flour was within the productive capacity of the home milling industry.
§ Mr. Webb589,000 tons in 1949 and 429,000 tons in 1950. The extraction rate varied from 70 per cent. to 73 per cent. In general milling offals were imported separately from the flour; the quantity imported in each year was 81,000 tons and 89,000 tons. The quantity of flour imported was within the capacity of the home milling industry in addition to their production of home milled flour; but in deciding our imports of wheat and flour we have to take many other factors into account, such as availability, freight and existing trade practices.
§ 65. Mr. Yorkasked the Minister of Food how many additional tons of wheat per annum would be required to lower the flour extraction rate to 75 per cent.; what extra quantity of milling offals would be available as a result; what quantity of extra pig products it is estimated such milling offals would represent; and whether it is within the present capacity of the home milling industry to mill the extra wheat involved.
§ Mr. WebbAbout 420,000 tons more wheat a year would be needed to lower the extraction rate of flour milled in the United Kingdom from the present 81 per cent. to 75 per cent., and the same amount of extra milling offal would be provided. It would be within the capacity of the milling industry to mill the extra wheat. The quantity of pig-meat represented by this extra amount of milling offal would probably be about 70,000 tons per annum.