§ Mr. Edeasked the Minister of Food what answer he has sent to the letter which he has received from the South Shields and District Butchers' Association complaining that the meat the Association's members receive at the beginning of each week is quite unsuitable to meet the demands of their customers and suggesting that more beef should be made available.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe Association has been informed that home killed meat forms a large part of the ration and has to be distributed as it becomes available, in order to avoid congestion at slaughterhouses and depots.
As much beef as possible is being issued, but the total quantity available at this time of year is not always sufficient to satisfy demand and the supplies are distributed as fairly as possible throughout the country.
138WIt would not be practicable to hold beef over from one week for delivery to the butchers at the beginning of the next week. Butchers, however, do receive a proportion of their meat allocation in advance as a forward issue, and there is nothing to prevent them from so arranging their own supplies as to reserve for sale the type of meat which their experience shows is in greater demand at any particular time of the week.