§ Major AINSWORTHasked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that, although the price of wheat this year is 45s. against 58s. at the same time last year, the price of offals is now, £10 5s. per ton against £8 5s. per ton this time last year; if he is aware of the effect on British farmers caused by these high prices; and if he can state the amount to which these offals are being exported?
2113W
Mr. GUINNESSI am aware of the fall which has taken place in the price of wheat and the rise in the price of offals as compared with the corresponding period of last year. I would remind my hon. and gallant Friend that the price of offals is not necessarily determined by the price of wheat, but by the prevailing demand for offals and by their value in relation to the price of other feeding-stuffs. Taking all feeding-stuffs together, including offals, the general price level, though higher than last year, is not unduly high, the index number for November last being 41 per cent. above the pre-War level. The exports of milling offals for the first 10 months of the current year amounted to 52,000 tons, or rather under 3 per cent. of the total available supplies. This export is more than balanced by an import of 155,000 tons.