asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food the number of small shopkeepers in the whole country from whom licences to trade with registered customers have been withdrawn; and how many of these were in Bournemouth?

Major Lloyd George:

Statistics up to date show that supplies of one or more rationed foods were no longer being made available to 13,343 retailers in the United Kingdom; of these three are in the Bournemouth Food Control Committee area.

Is not that position very unsatisfactory, in view of what we were led to expect by the Minister when the question was raised before? Would it not be better to revert to the old position where the Ministry licensed the smaller retailer automatically unless there was a case against him? At the moment they only licence him when he can show hardship, which is very unsatisfactory.

Major Lloyd George:

My hon. Friend will remember that when I spoke about this matter some time ago I said that the main purpose was not to encourage people in this kind of business if they were not there for legitimate trade purposes. When he says that the situation is not satisfactory that may mean not satisfactory either way. It may well mean that we are getting rid of something which might well have been got rid of before. So far as Bournemouth is concerned, I think that three out of the whole area is extremely satisfactory from my hon. Friend's point of view. Moreover, he knows that it is possible for people who have complaints to appeal and that and this withdrawal of rationed foodstuffs may be in respect of one rationed commodity or more.

While recognising that nobody wants to support people who are abusing the control of food rationing, will it not be possible to revert to the old system of licensing a retailer unless there is a case against him? At present he is not licenced unless he can show hardship.

Major Lloyd George:

If my hon. Friend will look into the three cases in his Constituency and let me have his views on them, it might help a very great deal.