§ Mr. Lindsayasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what steps are being taken to provide meals for householders, not necessarily homeless, who, by reason of enemy attack and failure of essential services, are unable to prepare cooked meals in their own homes?
Major Lloyd GeorgeMy Noble Friend has asked local authorities in cities and in large towns throughout the country to establish as quickly as possible centres, to be known as Emergency Feeding Centres, at which members of the public will be able to obtain hot meals at reasonable prices immediately following heavy air attack. With a view to supplementing the cooking facilities at these centres local authorities have also been asked to enlist the assistance of commercial catering establishments and works canteens for the purpose of providing in emergency cooked food in bulk for delivery to the Emergency Feeding Centres. In a period of great emergency the local authority might find it necessary in addition to employ the catering trade in the area for the serving of meals of a denned character in their own premises at a prescribed price and my Noble Friend has conferred powers upon local authorities for this purpose. The type of meals to be served by commercial catering establishments during an emergency and the prices to be charged for them will be the same as those to be served in the local authorities' Emergency Feeding Centres. All approved expenditure incurred by local authorities upon cooking equipment for the centres and all approved operating deficiencies will be reimbursed by the Ministry of Food. I may explain that the Emergency Feeding Centres are intended primarily for those who are in a position to pay for their meals and who will require the services of the centres for a few days only. They should not be confused with British Restaurants establised by local authorities under the auspices of the Ministry of Food nor with the rest centres already organised by 51W public assistance authorities under the auspices of the Ministry of Health in England and under the auspices of the Department of Health for Scotland which provide for the needs of people rendered destitute and homeless as a result of enemy action.