LORDS DEBATE FOOD

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25179, 9 May 1947, Page 7

LORDS DEBATE FOOD

WOOLTON PREDICTS CRISIS

GOVERNMENT DEPLORES “ALARMIST” TALK (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON, May 7. “We are in danger of a food crisis that will be as serious as the coal crisis,” said Lord Woolton, a former Minister of Food, in drawing attention in the House of Lords to “serious shortages.” He said he doubted whether the people were getting enough of the right sort of food to enable them to increase production. Lord Woolton referred to the recent article by Dr. Franklin Bicknell, in the Medical Press," which began: “England is dying of starvation. He commented that, many people in the medical profession were becoming alarmed about the state of physical fitness in the country. Referring to the “Work or Want” Posters appearing in Britain. Lord Woolton said that it was no good placarding the country with slogans and refusing to disclose the extent of not pep f taiks The I>eOPie wanted 100d ’ Woolion questioned the value of the system of Government buying, and suggested that the Government was confusing the totally separate functions of government and catering. Why was Britain using scarce dollars to buy things which nobody wanted very much? he asked. The purchase of iuxuiy foods had undermined public confidence. Could not British farms provide more food if the Government • made known the full extent of the country’s need? Britain was living beyond her income in meat, and the time was not far distant when the housewife would not be able to rely on getting her ration.. Was some other country holding Britain up to ransom for meat? Experts said that the lack of fats was the main reason why the people were becoming worn out. There was a w™,iA ang ? r the tood Position would seriously increase the unhappiness and weariness which anyone with £° uld ? etect to the fae « of the British people. r T Government Reply Lord Henderson, replying to Lord w»« ol n°<n nS ld * 019 come more acute. There might be sh °rtages of some foods, hut there would be increased sun* F there. There was no justification for alarmist prophesies of a crisis. So far as could be seen at w ? ul l ? e Possible to maintain the levels of food import®, and in res Pect of. some commodities, to ex--2? e ?»? st * lev< 3s. The stock Potion of wheat and flour was causing anJ[ie ‘y. making vary careful control necessary. Lord Henderson said that if this year’s harvests in the northern hemisphere were good enough, it might be possible to abandon bread rationing. Britain expected to import in the next .2 months sufficient feeding stuffs to maintain the present animal feed ration and increase the ration* in the live stock rehabilitation scheme. The Government was maintaining the tea supply with some difficulty. Meat was the most difficult problem. Britain was buying every ton abroad she could get and could afford. Britain's domestic meat stocks were from 149.090 tons less than in “We may have to reduce the meat ration to the level operating at this time last year,” he said. Fish supplies were likely to increase and the supplies of potatoes would be sufficient, in spite of the floods, to meet the demand until the end of the season. There should be an abundant supply of most other vegetables by mid-June. Defending the import of expensive fruits such as pineapples. Lord Henderson said that most of them came from countries wjiere the balance (st trade was favourable and there was everything to be gained by taking from them the less essential foods. Lord Henderson added that most of the expensive fruits, which Considerably added to the British diet, -had not been imported at the expense of other essential goods. Defending bulk purchases, Lord Henderson said that the exporting countries had not been slow to take advantage of the World sellers’ market. A large number of private buyers would merely intensify competition and drive prices even higher. The “Daily Mail,’’ referring to Lord Henderson’s statement that the meat ration might have t» be reduced to last year’s level says that this would be a meat ration of Is 2d worth of fresh and tinned meat a week instead of Is 4d worth as at present.