asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that anxiety is felt in the Durham Meat Federation area, which includes Durham City, Durham Rural District and Brandon and Byshottles areas because of the withdrawal of the 5½ per cent. allocation of manufacturing meat to butchers which begins on 10th March; that the districts mentioned are large mining communities and this cut will mean less cooked meats, pies and sausages for miners and their families; and if he will take steps to avoid this reduction at present.

I regret that the reduction, which applies to the whole country is unavoidable, but an additional allowance of manufacturing meat for pies etc. has been recently authorised for certain districts, including mining areas. This will help to offset the reduction in the issue to butchers.

Is the Minister aware that in the Durham area there are butchers who have 1,300 registered customers and that last week they had only 6 lbs. of sausage to sell to those people? Will he not try to do something about this? These are unrationed foods. The general public in the mining areas are staggered by the withdrawal of this 5½ per cent.

There have been offsetting increases in precisely those areas.