§ General CROFTasked the President of the Board of Agriculture whether his attention has been called to the price of sugar candy for bee-keeping; and whether he will consider the advisability of fixing the price of such sugar so as to encourage the production of honey and prevent the decrease of this food?
§ Mr. CLYNESI have been asked to reply. As I informed the hon. Member for Petersfield on 29th November, in view of the increase in the price of honey, and of the fact that the bee candy supplied under Government direction is manufactured without profit, it is not thought advisable that this candy should be supplied at a lower price.
§ Mr. MILLARasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if he can state the quantity of sugar now held by maltsters and brewers and the quantities which they are permitted to use for each quarter's brewing during the present year?
§ Mr. CLYNESAccording to the latest returns the quantity of sugar, including invert and solid glucose, held by brewers on 31st December, 1917, amounted to 14,323 tons. The quantity permitted to be used for each quarter's brewing during the present year amounts to 14,792 tons. Sugar is not used in any form in the manufacture of malt. It should be borne in mind that the only sugar allowed to be used in the brewing of beer is invert of low grade cane sugar of a polarisation not506W exceeding 89 degrees from which not less than 40 per cent. of its weight in the form of crystal sugar or grocery syrup or grocery honey sugar has been extracted.