§ 8. Sir J. D. REESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the 1183 Government proposes to appoint a member of the Grocers' Federation upon the committee on food prices?
§ 9. Mr. TICKLERasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the dissatisfaction amongst the grocers and provision merchants of the country that they are not represented on the Government Committee on Food Prices; and will he take steps to appoint a representative of this body on the Committee?
14. Mr. TERRELLasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, while two members of the Food Prices Committee are representative of the co-operative grocers' societies, there is no representative on the Committee of the private grocers; and whether, in the circumstances, he will see that some suitable representative of this class of the grocery trade is at once appointed to the Committee?
§ 16. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will take steps to see that the private distributive trades concerned are represented on the Government Committee on Food Prices as well as co-operative societies; whether two representatives of the co-operative societies have been appointed as members of the Government Committee; and whether he will see that private traders are proportionately represented on the Committee?
Mr. HARCOURTThe inquiries of the Prices Committee will not be limited to food prices, and, even if they were so limited, it is not practicable to include on one Committee representatives of each important division of producers, wholesale merchants and retail dealers without unduly increasing the membership of the Committee. The Committee will, of course, call representative distributive traders as witnesses, and I will consider whether anything further can be done to meet the hon. Members' wishes, but I do not think I shall see my way to increase the members—already large—of the Committee.
§ Sir J. D. REESDoes the right hon Gentleman not think that the Grocers' Federation above all others has excellent claims to be represented?
Mr. HARCOURTIf I said that then the Butchers' Federation would say the same thing, and they would also want to be represented.
Mr. TERRELLIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that co-operative societies have two representatives on this Committee? Surely the grocers should be entitled to a representative.
§ Mr. PETOWill the right hon. Gentleman reply to that part of my question about co-operative societies having two representatives on this Committee, and, if so, whether he does not think some representation should be given to the distributing trades generally?