§ Captain DOUGLAS HALLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (1) if the words "other meat" in the last part of the third instruction on the London and Home Counties meat card prohibits restaurants and clubs from supplying butchers' meat at any meal they supply; if not, what is there to show on the meat card that this is not the intention; if the public can under the new Regulations obtain only four meat meals in a week from a restaurant or club and these must not include butchers' meat; and, if this interpretation is wrong, what is there in the instructions to show the holder otherwise; and (2) if his attention has been drawn to the vague instructions printed on the meat cards; if the Food Controller took the best advice available in drawing them up; if so, what is meant by the first part of instruction No. 4 in respect to how the public are to tell which is the week to which the numbered coupon relates; for instance, can he say to what week the No. 17 refers; does it mean the seventeenth week of the year or the seventeenth week after the holder commences to use the card or the seventeenth week from the date when the Order comes into force or the week in which the seventeenth day of the month occurs; and, if it does mean one of the above, what is there to show on the card to the holder that it does mean this?
§ Mr. CLYNESApart from restrictions as to public meals, these is nothing to prevent restaurants and clubs from supplying butchers' meat at any meal in exchange for a coupon or a half-coupon. The instructions on the card are necessarily condensed for lack of space; but, in addition to full Press notices, detailed information is supplied in a leaflet, "How to Use Food Cards and Meat Cards," which can be obtained gratis from all Food Offices and railway bookstalls. As therein explained, the coupon numbered 17 refers to the week ending midnight Saturday, 22nd June.
§ Mr. PERKINSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether 1386W the limitation of half meat rations imposed on children under ten years of age is in accordance with really experts' scientific advice; and whether, in view of the opinion that the ration is quite inadequate, he will consider the advisability of increasing it, even if it be necessary to reduce the ration allocated to adults who are engaged in sedentary occupations?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe meat ration has been fixed with reference to the amount of meat available in the country as a whole, and cannot be raised unless the supplies are increased. The decision to give half rations of meat to children under ten was taken after consultation with the scientific advisers to the Ministry and with representatives of the Food (War) Committee of the Royal Society, and there is no reason to fear that children will suffer from a low meat ration provided that the necessary supply of protein as a whole is available. I may point out that the great majority of children are living with adults, and that it is open to the members of any household to share their food as they think best as among the adults and among the children of all ages, thus giving practical effect to the suggestion of the hon. Member. Very young children do not need even the half ration. In the case of children at boarding schools the Food Controller will consider the possibility of giving a priority claim for some other article of food—such as fish, eggs or cheese—with a high protein value. The possibility of increasing the ration both for children and for adults will be borne in mind, though I fear that first place must be accorded to the claims of those engaged on heavy physical work. It would not, I fear, be practicable to enforce a lower ration for sedentary workers in general.