§ Mr. Liddallasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade, as representing the Ministry of Food, whether he is aware that at the various bacon factories oftener than not, pigs are not killed until four or five days after loading and that this involves a loss to producer and consumer alike; that in regard to a bacon pig population of 25,000 per week this means a financial loss to the producer of the value of 55 tons of bacon and a loss to the consumer of a like amount of bacon; and what steps he is taking to remedy this serious state of affairs?
§ Mr. JohnstoneNo, Sir. The majority of pigs sent to bacon factories are slaughtered within two clays after loading. Under present conditions there are inevitably a few cases in which pigs are delayed in transit, but the proportion of cases in which there is a period of four or five days between loading and slaughter is very small. My Noble Friend is satisfied that every effort is being made to ensure that all pigs are killed as promptly as possible, and that, in general, there is no avoidable delay in killing pigs after they arrive at the bacon factory. I cannot accept my hon. Friend's estimate of the losses arising from this cause.