§ Mr. Rentonasked the Minister of Food the average quantity of stocks of wheat in tons of 2,240 lbs. in the United Kingdom: the number of weeks supply which those stocks represented at the then current extraction rates, what extraction rates were current for each of the following periods: 1938, 1939, 1945, the first six months of 1946, July, August, September, October, and November, and the first week of December, 1946.
§ Mr. StracheyAs regards that part of the Question which relates to stocks of wheat I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Northern Dorset (Mr. Byers) on 10th July last. The extraction rates which were current for the periods named in the Question are given below:
1938 and 1939—Extraction was not controlled but the average rate was probably about 70 per cent. Per cent. 1945 80 1st January, 1946, to 23rd February, 1946 80 24th February, 1946, to 9th March, 1946 82½ 10th March. 1946, to nth May, 1946 85 12th May, 1946, to 30th June, 1946 90 July, 1946 90 August, 1946 90 1st September to 21st September, 1946 90 22nd September to 30th September, 1946 85 October, 1946 85 November, 1946 85 1st week of December, 1946 85