§ Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that in the matter of the meat trade his Department is working without an advisory committee, he will describe the character of the control exercised; whether this trade is entirely placed in the hands of clerks and officials and chartered accountants who have had no experience whatever of frozen meat 627W importation; whether he will state if Sir Thomas Robinson had ever been responsible for the management of a meat shop, either wholesale or retail; and, if not, what were the special reasons for deputing to him so responsible a duty as controlling the foreign meat importations into this country?
Mr. RUNCIMANI have described on various occasions in this House the procedure adopted by the Board of Trade in connection with the sale of their surplus mutton and lamb for civilian consumption, and I may also refer my hon. Friend to page 11 of the Report of the Prices Committee, where the method adopted is described in some detail. I have no reason to think that the officials dealing with this and other matters connected with Government purchases of meat are not performing their duties in an efficient manner. Sir Thomas Robinson has had practical experience of all branches of the meat trade.