§ Colonel WEIGALLasked the Food Controller what specific steps have been taken to reduce the financial burden of the bread subsidy by equalisation of the costs of production and distribution, as indicated in the recent Report of the Select Committee on National Expenditure?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe Ministry of Food have been giving very careful consideration to the observations on the bread subsidy contained in the Eighth Report of the Select Committee on National Expenditure. The Report showed that the Committee realised the difficulty of putting into practice any scheme of equalising the costs of production and distribution, and they gave no indication of their views on the subject. In the absence of instructions from the Cabinet, I am not prepared to adopt the suggestion to abandon the 9d. loaf, but I am hoping by other measures to secure some reduction in the costs of baking. I am now appointing a Committee to work out the details of a scheme of combination among bakers. I may add that I have adopted the one specific recommendation made by1298W the Select Committee, namely, to increase the cost of flour used for the manufacture of proprietary brands of bread.