HC Deb 30 July 1954 vol 531 cc116-7W
Lieut. - Colonel Bromley - Davenport

asked the Minister of Food how much home-grown coarse grain of the 1953 crop his Department was called upon to purchase under the arrangements announced in the White Paper on the Decontrol of Cereals and Feedingstuffs; and whether he anticipates that the sale of this grain will be completed before the 1954 harvest becomes available.

Major Lloyd George

1,340,000 tons. The unsold balance is only 35,000 tons and will I expect be disposed of before any significant supply of new crop grain becomes available. My Department has been greatly assisted in the sale of this large quantity of grain in an orderly fashion and with the minimum of disturbance of normal trading by the advice and co-operation which has been given by the accredited representatives of the trades and industries concerned.

Lieut. - Colonel Bromley - Davenport

asked the Minister of Food how much home-grown wheat of the 1953 crop his Department was called upon to purchase under the arrangements announced in the White Paper on the Decontrol of Cereals and Feedingstuffs; the extent to which the flour-milling industry assisted in the disposal of these purchases; and whether he anticipates that it will be possible to sell the remainder before the 1954 harvest becomes available.

Major Lloyd George

1,825,000 tons. Of this total the flour milling industry has purchased, or agreed to purchase, 1,600,000 tons. Some grain has also been purchased for animal feed. The stock remaining to be disposed of by the Government silo company, Recommissioned Mills Ltd., now amounts to about 85,000 tons. I expect that the company will be able to dispose of this balance before any significant supply of new crop wheat becomes available.

My Department has been greatly assisted in the disposal of this large quantity of wheat by the advice and co-operation which has been given by the accredited representatives of the trades and industries concerned. I am particularly appreciative of the extent to which the flour milling industry has purchased home-grown wheat in the first year of decontrol and look forward with every confidence to the ability and willingness of the industry to play its full part in the movement of the 1954 crop.