§ Mr. Thorneasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he is aware of the difficulty of the farm manager at South Ockenden Farm, Essex, owned by the West Ham Corporation, the produce of which supplies eight council hospitals and 16 feeding centres; that to maintain these supplies the monthly supplies of foodstuffs should be at least 3½tons of poultry meal and 1½ ton of corn; and whether he will instruct the Essex Agricultural Committee to supply coupons for that amount?
§ Mr. T. WilliamsI understand that the coupons issued to this farm have been on the same basis as those issued to other farms. These provide adequate rations for the horses and cows on the farm, but involve a substantial reduction on the prewar quantities of feeding-stuffs allowed for the poultry. My right hon. Friend does not consider that it would be justifiable to give preferential treatment to corporation farms which could only be achieved by means of still further reductions in the supplies allowed to commercial poultry keepers.