§ Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Food what were the total tonnages of potatoes sold for stock feed in the years 1947, 1948 and 1949 respectively; what was the net cost to the taxpayer; and what he estimates the figures will be for the current year.
§ Mr. WebbThe quantity of potatoes sold by the Ministry of Food for stock-feeding (including potatoes processed for that purpose) was:
Crop Year Ions 1947–48 57,000 1948–49 1,641,000 1949–50 303,000 1950–51 650,000 (Estimated) 95W
Financial year ended 31st March Cost £ 1948 (Gross) 325,809 1949 (Net) 8,061,314 1950 9,491,438 (Provisional) 1951 4,759,000 (Estimated)
§ Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Food what was the total tonnage of potatoes available to Great Britain in countries not involving hard currencies during the years 1947, 1948 and 1949, respectively; what tonnages were actually purchased and from which countries; and how these figures compare with the period 1935–39.
Great Britain United Kingdom* Soft currency countries from which potatoes (ware seed and new) were purchased Crop Year Average Imports 1935–39 1947–48 1948–9 1949–50 '000 tons '000 tons '000 tons '000 tons Canary Islands … — 2 7 9 Channel Islands … 25 26 26 66 Cyprus … — — — 1 Denmark … 28 — — 11 Egypt … — 13 — 1 Estonia … — — — 2 French North Africa … 1 18 40 7 Irish Republic … 14 36 30 18 Malta and Gozo … 1 — 2 4 Netherlands … 110 — 1 33 Northern Ireland … 184 227 291 † Poland … 17 — — 1 South Africa and British S.W. Africa … 12 — — — Spain … — 4 — 44 Sweden … 5 — — — * No separate figures are available for Great Britain but virtually all the imports would have been into Great Britain. The figures are taken from the Annual Statement of Trade published by the Board of Trade. † Average Imports into Great Britain from Northern Ireland in 1935–39 were 165,000 tons according to the Potato Marketing Board Annual Report, 1939.
§ Major Legge-Bourkeasked the Minister of Food what annual tonnage is required to feed the population of Great Britain with the most beneficial ration of potatoes from a medical point of view; and how this compares with the tonnage now consumed as food each year.
§ Mr. WebbIt is, I am afraid, impracticable to estimate the most beneficial ration of any one food, since so many factors are involved.