§ Sir E. Graham-Littleasked the Minister of Food what proportion of wheat consumed in this country at the present time is imported in the form of grain and flour, respectively; whether, as wheat imported in the form of flour is deprived of its germ in the country of its origin, and the germ contains some of the most nutritive parts of the grain, he will increase the import of wheat as grain as compared with flour; and why the bread subsidy has been raised from £35,000,000 per annum in March, 1945, to £69,000,000 at the present time.
§ Dr. SummerskillOf the wheat consumed in this country at the present time,208W approximately 80 per cent. is imported in the form of wheat or flour. Of this 80 per cent., 12½ per cent. is in the form of flour and 87½per cent. in the form of wheat. Imported flour is necessary apart from other considerations to augment home flour production to meet consumption requirements.
As regards the last part of the Question my hon. Friend appears to be under some misunderstanding. The figure of £69 million contains subsidies other than the bread subsidy Today's figure comparable with that of £35 million in March 1945, is £41 million had the advance is because of increased costs connected with the supply of flour and bread