HC Deb 15 May 1916 vol 82 cc1105-6
4. Mr. THOMAS

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has ob- served the continued rapid rise in the prices of food and other necessaries of life and how heavily this bears upon the poorer sections of the community, whose wages are in consequence seriously shrinking in value; whether at the same time he has also observed the excess profits made by shippers, manufacturers, traders, and the commercial classes generally; and whether he can give the House an assurance that the Government propose to take immediate action to regulate the supply and prices of food and other necessaries?

Mr. RUNCIMAN

I can only refer my hon. Friend to the answers which I have repeatedly given in this House to questions of a somewhat similar character. My hon. Friend must be well aware that all aspects of the subject to which he refers have long engaged the anxious and unremitting attention of the Government, and any practicable action to ameliorate the situation is being and will be taken, short of steps which by their nature are likely to defeat the main object by restricting supplies.