§ 79. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Food what is the loss to the taxpayer through weevil infestation in 35,000 tons of imported barley; why it has been necessary to hold the infested portion so 118W long that it overlaps the home crop; and what tonnage of home crop barley is now in stock.
§ Mr. StracheyThe cost in this particular instance cannot be isolated from the total cost of the routine measures against infestation applied to all Ministry of Food stocks of grain. We have to hold stocks in order to safeguard the ration. 111,218 tons of home-grown barley were in stock on 3rd February.