§ 63. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Food what were the reasons for his decision to allow the co-operative societies a priority supply of 22½ per cent, of the 10,000 tons of additional sugar to be made immediately available; and why this extra tonnage was limited to 3 per cent. of the datum usage of sugar, which was reduced by 25 per cent, in January, 1948, despite the stocks of sugar being sample and this year's beet crop having a high yield.
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§ 70. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Food why, in allocating additional supplies of sugar to the flour confectionery industry, he has given a priority supply of 22½ per cent. to the co-operative movement.
§ Mr. StracheyI have given the cooperative societies 22½ per cent. of the extra sugar allocations granted to certain industries, because their existing percentage of manufacturing sugar was disproportionate to their general trade; for example, they were only getting some 10 per cent. of the sugar for cake and biscuit making while they held some 25 per cent. of sugar registrations and distributed some 20 per cent. of the bread of the country. The cake and flour confectionery trade have only been allocated 10,000 tons in all because the rest of the extra sugar for manufacturing will go for points foods, for sweets, for preserves, etc., or for increasing the domestic ration.