§ Captain BOWYERasked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the recent refusal of the Sutton, Surrey, Food Committee to transfer a registered customer from a meat retailer who had been fined for a breach of the Meat Order; that this refusal was made on the grounds that it was inadvisable to allow any transfers until the indexing of counterfoils, in course of progress at the Food Office, was complete; whether, in view of this refusal, he will amend paragraph 31 of the pamphlet M.G.R.R. 10, general rationing machinery, by causing it to be definitely stated that clerical and managerial work in connection with a food office should not be a special reason as laid down in that paragraph; and whether he will take steps to ensure that, where a retailer has been convicted for a breach of a Food Order, any registered customer of that retailer shall, on applying to be transferred, be transferred within seven days of the receipt of the application by the local food office?
Mr. ROBERTSI am not aware of the case to which the hon. and gallant Member refers, but am having inquiries made. As regards the second part of the question, I do not consider it necessary to limit the discretion given to food committees in the Instruction referred to. I am satisfied that no committee would refuse to allow a member of the public to change his retailer except where it was certain that such a change would be prejudicial to the efficient administration of food control in their district.