§ 71. Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Food if he will give the reasons for his refusal to have eggs date-stamped when grading.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeBecause the date of grading would not indicate the age or condition of the egg.
§ Mr. Hurdasked the Minister of Food the cost of administering the egg control scheme; what are the numbers of staff employed; and to what extent compensation payments for loss of business are still being made to egg importers and distributors.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe cost in my Department of administering the egg control scheme, including administrative overheads and an allocation in respect of the cost of regional and local food offices, is currently estimated at £1,226,000 per annum. The number of staff employed in the Eggs Division is 157, of whom 47 are industrial workers.
No payments have been or are being made to egg importers and distributors as compensation for loss of business. At the inception of control the pre-war importers of eggs formed the National Egg Distributors Association Ltd. to act as purchasers of home-produced eggs and first hand distributors of all eggs on behalf of the Ministry. The total payments to the Association, including reimbursement of expenditure and a profit element, are currently estimated at £656,000 per annum, which represents just over ½ per cent. of current turnover.
251WThe number of staff employed by the Association is 911, of whom 682 are industrial workers employed on work in connection with the supply of boxes to home egg packers and the testing of egg supplies.