§ Mr. Jim Lesterasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if she will make arrangements to ensure that disabled or infirm people unable to shop around can get supplies of essential foodstuffs that are or could be in temporary short supply.
§ Mr. StrangI have been asked to reply.
Foodstuffs are obtained for disabled or infirm people by a variety of informal and voluntary arrangements. If the hon. Member has evidence that current precautionary buying of sugar and salt is causing widespread hardship to the disabled and infirm I should be very willing to arrange for such evidence to be discussed with the retailers' and consumers' associations.