§ Viscount SANDONasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can give an estimate of the percentage of English and Welsh eggs produced by poultry farmers as such, by miscellaneous rural producers, and by town dwellers; the percentage of home eggs that pass through the new packing stations; and the percentage of eggs sold by retailers which consumers purchase in bulk, such as in national-marked boxes or cartons, and which they purchase loose?
Mr. GUINNESSI regret that I am unable to furnish the estimate asked for in the first part of the question. At this early stage in the development of the Egg Marketing Scheme it is impossible to give any reliable estimate of the quantities of home-produced eggs passing
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1929. Men. Boys. Women. Girls. Total. Plymouth. 7th January … … … … 3,756 87 517 60 4,420 14th January … … … … 3,877 96 536 79 4,588 21st January … … … … 3,672 115 542 93 4,422 28th January … … … … 3,811 123 523 91 4,548 Devonport. 7th January … … … … 1,873 75 156 60 2,164 14th January … … … … 1,799 78 172 70 2,119 21st January … … … … 1,814 78 196 68 2,156 28th January … … … … 1,901 74 202 65 2,242 through the packing stations. The number is, however, increasing rapidly, and the same may be said of the purchase by consumers of eggs in cartons.