The following Question stood upon the Order Paper in the name of Major WISE:

67. To ask the Minister of Food if he will make a statement on the future level of the tea ration.

At the end of Questions—

The House will recollect that on 3rd April I warned hon. Members that, mainly owing to a dock strike in Calcutta, our stocks of tea were decreasing. The Calcutta strike ended after twelve weeks on 3rd May, but a subsequent strike in Colombo which lasted four weeks and ended on 20th June meant that for a whole month no shipments of tea from Ceylon were possible.

The Ministry loyally assisted by the trade, have done everything humanly possible to maintain our supplies, but these two consecutive interruptions in shipments have now reduced our stocks to a point at which we must take action in order to safeguard orderly distribution.

As the House knows, we distribute the tea ration at the rate of 2 ozs. and 3 ozs. per week in alternate months. I regret to say that the above two interruptions in our supplies will mean that we cannot make the usual increase for the next 3 oz. month, namely 20th July to 16th August. The ration will, therefore, remain at the rate of 2 ozs. a week over the next two months. I cannot yet definitely say whether we can ship, sort, blend and distribute sufficient tea to make the increase to 3 ozs. in the next due month, namely, September. But it should be definitely possible—if there are no further strikes or interruptions of shipments—,to rebuild our stocks to a level which will permit us to make the usual increase to the 3 oz. rate in the next due month after that, namely November. I am glad to say that it will not be necessary to make this temporary reduction in the case of people of 70 and over and seamen

The right hon. Gentleman will realise that this statement will be a disappointment to a great many people? When was the right hon. Gentleman in a position to make this decision? Was it really not possible to tell the House about it so that it could be discussed last week in the Food Debate?

No, Sir, it was only made a few days ago—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."]—when shipments were resumed, I am glad to say, after the strikes.

Can the right hon. Gentleman tell us what was the determining factor? It is rather inconvenient to the House to have these sudden statements of further reductions just after we have concluded a Food Debate.

It is not the case that the tea is not available. It is available, but it cannot be blended, sorted and distributed, in time to make the usual increase in the ration at the moment, without risk of distribution difficulties and shortages in the shops, which we think is worse than not increasing the ration.

Does the right hon. Gentleman really mean that he could not have told us this last Tuesday?

Yes, because now the strikes have ended we have made the very greatest efforts to pre-ship supplies to this country, and only in the last day or two did we come to the conclusion that we cannot risk it during the next month. There would be disappointment to housewives in the shops, which I think much worse than reducing the ration at the present moment.

Is it not a fact that the Government have allowed reserves of tea to fall to a dangerously low level?

It is true that these long strikes in Calcutta and Colombo much reduced the stocks so that this action became necessary.

Is it not a little odd that in the Food Debate last week when the Minister made a long statement of an hour and 20 minutes, going over many future arrangements, he was unable to give an indication that he would have to reduce the ration?

The House will recollect that I gave the House a clear warning as long ago as 3rd April, that we might have to reduce the ration.

I am not asking about 3rd April, but about last week?

The right hon. and gallant Member was asking about an indication.