§ Mr. Dodds-Parkerasked the Minister of Food whether he is satisfied that the compulsory deduction of 4s. 6d. a case of 360 eggs from the service charge allowance to packing stations is appropriate; whether he regards the claims which this charge is to offset as all well-founded; and how long it will be necessary to maintain this charge.
§ Mr. StracheyEgg packers in England and Wales contribute 4s. 6d. per case of eggs packed by them to a pool set up and operated by the packing industry. The pool is shared amongst all packers, including those whose businesses were suspended under the wartime zoning scheme, on the basis of their throughput during a pre-zoning datum period. Thus no packer makes a net payment into the pool except to the extent that his present throughput exceeds his datum. The rate of contribution has been accepted by the packing industry and I consider the arrangement fair and reasonable. Suspended packers are being permitted to recover their businesses during the 12 months which commenced on 28th February, 1947. At the end of this144W period, no further contributions will be made into the pool.