Mr. MACLEANasked the Minister of Food whether he has received an offer from the co-operative movement to place the machinery of its organisation at the service of the Food Ministry during the miners' dispute for the purpose of distributing the food supplies of the nation without discrimination between the co-operator and private trader; and whether, in view of the feeling that may be caused by the formation of a volunteer service such as was formed during the railway dispute, he is prepared to accept this offer?
§ Sir W. MITCHELL-THOMSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. I may say that there was nothing novel in this offer, as the co-operative movement has always joined forces most loyally with the Ministry of Food in the distribution of food supplies, both in normal and at emergency periods. The Food Controller deprecates the suggestion that any ill-feeling could be caused by the formation of a volunteer service, such as was formed during the railway dispute, in view of the fact that during that dispute a large number of local food committees, mainly composed of trades unionists and co-operatives, freely availed themselves of this organisation, and helped it to secure the food supplies of all classes during the emergency.