HC Deb 03 February 1942 vol 377 cc1061-2W
Captain Plugge

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether it is recommended that British Restaurants should be established to meet demands by any section of the community irrespective of the character of the district; whether, in establishing these restaurants, attention is paid to the fact that people who frequent them are usually enabled to obtain rations over and above their statutory home allowance; and to what extent such extra consumption of food will entail an all-round avoidable reduction of such rations as meat?

Major Lloyd George

British Restaurants are not established for any particular section of the community but to provide at least one hot nutritious meal per day for all those who, owing to circumstances arising from the war, find difficulty in obtaining meals in their accustomed manner. British Restaurants form only a small proportion of the numerous catering establishments of all types which are to-day playing an important part in feeding the public by providing facilities which are essential to meet the requirements of war workers and others, who, in increasing numbers, must take meals away from home. All these establishments, not British Restaurants alone, provide meals off the ration. The quantity of rationed food consumed in British Restaurants is too small to have any effect on the domestic ration of meat, or of any other commodity.