56 and 57. Major Lloydasked the Minister of Food (1) how much subsidised meat is bought annually by shipping companies in this country for their passenger trade; and to what extent these companies are permitted to buy meat supplies when calling at foreign ports;
(2) whether British lines sailing to hard currency areas are now permitted to take on food stores in those areas.
§ Mr. WebbBritish lines sailing to hard currency areas have agreed to take on stores in this country for round voyages whenever practicable, so as to save dollars. But they have never been prohibited from buying necessary stores, including meat, in those areas or in other foreign ports. The quantity of subsidised meat supplied in 1950 for ships stores for all purposes, including the passenger trade, was 14,723 tons.