§ Lieut.-Colonel BURGOYNEasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture whether he is aware that, before bee food can be obtained in the county of Surrey, the applicant must write to the Surrey Bee Committee for a form in which he has to fill in his stocks of bees; whether this form, when completed, has to be returned to the Surrey Bee Committee to obtain permission to purchase the bee food of 10 lbs. weight per hive; whether 962W the permission has then to be sent or taken to the local food office and exchanged for a voucher to purchase the cakes of bee candy; whether he is aware that in the interim a number of hives have died out through lack of sustenance; whether it is a fact that the candy when obtained is labelled unfit for human food; and if, in the circumstances, some more businesslike method can be devised of meeting the demands of apiarists?
Sir A. BOSCAWENI am advised that the procedure to obtain bee food in the county of Surrey is substantially as stated; but that this procedure need not take more than four days at the most. The Board have no information that a number of hives have died out through lack of sustenance, but steps will be taken to expedite the procedure if possible. Bee candy, as usually supplied, is labelled unfit for human consumption, as it is medicated with a disinfectant.