Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 8 February 1940.
Mr. De la Bère:
asked the Minister of Agriculture whether, with a view to maintaining the livestock population of this country, he will take some immediate steps to prevent the practice which is becoming prevalent of milk farmers killing their immature calves at about 10 days old as a result of the controlled prices per head being substantially below the prices obtainable at the outbreak of hostilities?
Major Sir Albert Edmondson
, Banbury
It is a normal part of farming practice in dairying districts for farmers to market their surplus calves for slaughter as soon as possible after birth with a view to retaining milk supplies for human consumption. My right hon. Friend is not aware that slaughterings of immature calves are proceeding on an abnormal scale in relation to peacetime practice or on a scale that would jeopardise the maintenance of our livestock population; but my right hon. Friend the Minister of Food and he are keeping the situation under close review.
Mr. De la Bère:
Is my hon. and gallant Friend aware that the position is that the Minister of Food fixes a price for immature calves which is lower than it was at the outbreak of the war, and that the farmers cannot send them to the market because it is not worth their while? By what right does the Minister of Food fix these prices below the cost of production? It is entirely wrong and unjustifiable.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
