HC Deb 12 June 1947 vol 438 cc149-51W
Mr. Spence

asked the Minister of Food (1) what are the approximate total amounts of extra food above the basic ration allowed, respectively, to workers hav- ing no access to canteens who are entitled to extra bread and cheese; to male manual workers, including the above, who are entitled to the six bread-rationing coupons issued to manual workers; to female manual workers entitled to extra bread; and to young persons aged 11 to 18 years entitled to extra bread;

(2) what are the approximate total amounts of extra food above the basic ration allowed, respectively, to miners who are entitled to an extra shilling's worth of meat and to six extra bread-rationing coupons in addition to the six bread-rationing coupons allowed to all heavy manual workers; to miners who have access to a canteen but who exercise the option of drawing extra bread and cheese instead of canteen meals; and to miners who draw an extra three-quarters of an ounce of dripping in packed meals;

(3) what are the approximate total amounts of extra food above the basic ration allowed, respectively, to adolescents entitled to National Milk Cocoa, to industrial workers entitled to extra milk or National Milk Cocoa, to outside workers entitled to extra tea, milk and sugar and to office workers entitled to tea and milk;

(4) what are the approximate total amounts of extra food above the normal basic ration allowed to seamen, etc., engaged in home and coastwise traffic who are fed on R.B. 6 scale.

(5) what are the approximate total amounts of extra food above the basic ration allowed, respectively, to agricultural workers entitled to extra rations at harvest and other times and to country people entitled to rural pies.

(6) what are the approximate total amounts of extra food above the basic ration allowed, respectively, to vegetarians who get the extra 2 oz. per week of vegetable margarine, to persons suffering from certain complaints and invalids who get extra foods and eggs, to old persons entitled to extra tea, to expectant mothers and mothers of young children entitled to extra meat, bread, milk, and other food, and to children entitled to extra liquid or dried milk.

Mr. Strachey

There is no precise information about the total amount of food allowed to the named classes of consumer over and above the quantities allowed against their ordinary rations. Foodstuffs are distributed primarily on the basis of calculated entitlements of both ordinary rations and special allowances together and no attempt is made to keep separate records of distribution for each. The only way to find out what food is actually purchased against the special entitlements for the various classes of consumer mentioned would be by large scale detailed investigations which could not be undertaken because of the cost and manpower involved.