I move:—
That a sum not exceeding £25,000 be granted to defray the Charge which will come in course of payment during the year ending 31st March, 1951, for the Alleviation of Distress in Europe.
An approach was made to the Government early this year on behalf of an international relief organisation (the United States of America-sponsored "War Relief Services—National Catholic Welfare Conference") and their request was that we should give them a gift of meat for distribution in connection with the organisation's work of alleviating post-war distress in European countries. The decision was made by the Government that we would supply meat up to a total cost of £25,000, when the 1950-51 canning season opened in July of this year. Under that agreement, in the month of July, 1950, a certain quantity of canned meat was sent for children's holiday camps in west Berlin organised as a counter to similar camps conducted by the Soviet-sponsored East Berlin Government. In September of this year a further amount of canned meat was sent out for relief purpose in France. In October of this year there were two lots of canned meat: (1) for relief purposes in Germany and (2) for relief purposes in Austria. Also in that month a certain amount of canned meat went to Rome for Italian orphanages. The amount of canned meat distributed to date leaves about £3,000 still over out of the proposed allocation of £25,000. That £3,000 will be spent to provide a further quantity of meat for similar purposes.