HC Deb 20 September 1948 vol 456 cc15-7W
76. Mr. G. Williams

asked the Minister of Food if he will take steps to ensure a fair distribution of food on points in the rural areas of Kent and Sussex to enable agricultural workers to use their harvesting points.

79. Mr. Renton

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the shortage of points goods in shops in agricultural areas, and the difficulty which this has acquiring land for the purpose has been fulfilled; and what factors are delaying progress.

Mr. T. Williams

The post-war planting and acquisition programmes for State forestry and the progress to date are:

caused to farmers and their wives in providing harvest rations; and what steps he is taking to overcome this shortage without delay.

88. Mr. Baker White

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the shortage of points goods in rural areas; and what action he is taking.

94. Mr. J. Morrison

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the shortage of points foods available for farm workers; and what steps he is taking to improve the position.

100. Brigadier Medlicott

asked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to make available larger supplies of points foods in rural areas, so that farm workers may receive their full entitlement of the seasonal food allowances.

103. Mr. Driberg

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the inconvenience recently caused to the residents of rural districts with scattered populations inadequately served by catering establishments, such as the Dengie Hundred of Essex, by the acute shortage of such points goods as meat and the more popular kinds of fish; and how soon he anticipates that this deficiency will be remedied.

104. Mr. Lambert

asked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that there is a shortage and lack of variety of points goods in rural areas; and whether he will take steps to increase the supply and variety expecially of tinned meats.

Mr. Strachey

Harvesting points, like other points, have never carried an entitlement to particular varieties of food. The complaints which my Department has received have been found on investigation to be due to difficulties in obtaining individual foods such as canned meat and canned fish, which are unfortunately very scarce because of the complete cessation of food buying in the United States which we had to make last year. We are, of course, continuing to do our utmost to import as much of these foods as we can afford, but I am afraid that there is little prospect of any early of great improvement in their supply.

102. Mr. J. Morrison

asked the Minister of Food why points food unavailable throughout the country to regular farm workers during the harvest was available to temporary hoppickers.

Mr. Strachey

Hop-pickers represent a large influx of population into certain clearly defined areas and special arrangements are made each year to provide them not only with their harvest allowances but with their basic rations also. The extra demand for points goods created by the harvest allowances on the other hand represents only a fractional increase in the requirements of the resident population in rural areas throughout the country and does not warrant similar treatment.