§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, whether he is aware that a recent Report of the Wartime Social Survey, issued with the authority of the Ministry of Information, indicates that at least 66 per cent. of all classes of the population eat brown bread, and that this would be increased if the cost of brown bread were reduced to the level of white bread; and whether he will reconsider the arrangements for provision of a national loaf and adopt a war-bread more in accordance with expert opinion.
§ Mr. BoothbyNo, Sir. The sample inquiry to which my hon. Friend refers only covered selected districts in London and one provincial city. The percentage of those questioned who had purchased a brown loaf in the previous week varied in different districts between 38 per cent. and 65 per cent. In only 11 per cent. of the cases was price given as a reason for purchasing white bread instead of brown. The answer to the latter part of the Question is in the negative.