§ Mr. MYERSasked the Minister of Food whether it is the policy of the Government to allow free imports of butter from Ireland; and, if not, will he state the reason for this policy?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe policy of the Government has been to allow free imports of butter from Ireland since 1st April, 1920. All supplies of foreign butter are at present diverted by the Government to Great Britain where a minimum supply at a fixed price to the consumer is secured. The production of butter in Ireland is almost entirely seasonal, and to provide some corresponding protection to the Irish consumer it has been found necessary, in the present period of short supply, to control exports of butter from Ireland by licences issued by the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction for Ireland, acting on behalf of the Ministry of Food.
§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Minister of Food whether butter which was bought and placed in store in June at, or about, 285s. per cwt. is now being1274W sold to the shopkeepers for 490s. per cwt.; and, if so, will he state how the difference is accounted for?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe price charged to retailers for Government butter is 336s. per cwt. I have no knowledge of the prices paid for free butter now held in store, but in view of the increased rate of distribution of Government butter I see no reason why retailers should pay 490s. per cwt. for such free butter.
§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Minister of Food the amount of butter at present in store on the Government account and private account, giving the figures in each case separately?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe quantity of Government butter in store on 30th November was approximately 8,800 tons. Monthly returns are obtained by the Ministry of the total quantity of butter held at ports in cold stores and in importers' and wholesalers' warehouses in the United Kingdom. The last return, taken at the 1st November, showed the quantity of such butter to be 15,800 tons, of which not less than 12,200 tons was Government butter.