Mr. De la Béreasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the 588W provender millers receive equitable allocation of straight-run feeding-stuffs for cattle, and that the provincial corn merchants shall receive equitable allocation of cattle feeding-stuffs as they become available?
(2) what steps the Government are taking in connection with the supply of feeding-stuffs for pigs, poultry and cattle to ensure that no preferential allocation is made to the milling combines and milling combines agents as compared with the allocation made to the independent corn merchants and dealers; and will he consider introducing at once the policy of share and share alike on the basis of pre-war arrangements?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonAll supplies of imported cereal feeding-stuffs are allocated to c.i.f. buyers in proportion to their share of the imports in a pre-war datum period, and they, in turn, have been instructed to allocate their supplies to each of their customers in a similar manner. Merchants and millers have been asked to treat their provender mills as customers in the same way.
§ Dr. Littleasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what was the quantity of feeding-stuffs imported into Northern Ireland during the months of September, October, November and December, 1939, and the quantity imported in the corresponding months of 1938; and whether the quota assigned to Northern Ireland since the outbreak of war is based on pre-war imports?
§ Mr. MorrisonThe figures referred to in the first part of the Question are not available; the procedure referred to in the second part of the Question is that followed for the United Kingdom as a whole, including Northern Ireland.