§ 66. Colonel Stoddart-Scottasked the Minister of Agriculture why he is still basing the issue of pig and poultry feedingstuffs in some cases, upon the number of animals kept in 1939; and whether he will now consider a system where the ration has some relation to the number of stock kept at the time of application.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsI would refer the hon. and gallant Member to the statement I made on 20th July last introducing the new extended rationing scheme, when I fully explained why it would not be practicable either to dispense entirely with the 1939 basis of registration or to give rations on the basis of actual numbers of stock kept.
§ 68. Sir G. Foxasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has considered the Report on World Economic Trends published by the Department of Economic Affairs of the United Nations on 6th February which indicated that there has been an impressive rise in world production of foodstuffs and that grains are in better supply; and in view of these facts, why he announced that farmers in this country cannot expect any early or substantial increase in rationed feedingstuffs.
§ Mr. T. WilliamsThe report to which the hon. and gallant Member refers also draws attention to the Report of the 4th Session of the F.A.O. Conference which points out the stresses and strains created in international trade because much of the world's exportable food surpluses have become concentrated in hard currency areas, and the danger of careless use of the excellent 1948 grain harvest without regard to future supplies. My inability to promise early increases in feedingstuffs rations is due to considerations of this kind.