31 MAY 1940, Page 3

Food Distribution

Lord Woolton, the Minister of Food, gives the assurance that a complete local organisation for the distribution of food is in being, providing against military emergencies which may hold up transport. The country is not only divided into 17 divisional food areas, but is subdivided into small self-contained areas, Boo in all, each with its own depot and buffer depot. He has made it clear that the food reserves are not stocked at ports and docks, which might come under enemy attack, but are suitably distributed over all the food areas ; each of the 800 districts is supplied with enough food to keep its popula- tion going for some weeks. It must be remembered that the arterial Toads and railways may be required primarily for the military. The defence forces must not be impeded by any non- essential movement on them. Happily the Ministry of Food has had plenty of time to complete its organisation, and to make it possible at any moment to decentralise the machinery of administration.