74. Mr. L. WILLIAMSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Star Tea Company, on whose behalf Mr. W. G. Lovell, of the Ministry of Food, interfered with the Llanelly Local Food Control Committee in a letter, dated 7th December last, were fined £43 and costs at the Llanelly Police Court, and that in the course of the hearing a Mr. John Dunlee, of 85, Albert Street, Regent's Park, stated that lie bought the butter f.o.b. Cork at 238s. a cwt. and sold it to the defendant company f.o.b. Cork at 245s. 6d., making a profit on the transaction of £7 10s. a ton; and whether he will consider the possibility, in these days of food scarcity and high prices,. of eliminating such middleman's profits; altogether?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe profit, amounting to 7s. 6d. per cwt., was not in excess of that authorised by the Food Controller's Orders; the price charged was, however, in excess of that fixed by the local food committee. It is impossible altogether to dispense with the services of middlemen.
75. Mr. WILLIAMSasked whether Mr. W. G. Lovell was appointed in October last to be deputy-chairman of the Department's Butter Committee; whether he is the official responsible for fixing the price of butter in bulk and in lb.; whether, before his appointment, he was managing director, or chairman of directors, of Messrs. Lovell and Christmas, Limited; whether Messrs. Lovell and Christmas do a large business in turning bulk butter into 1bs.; whether Mr. W. G. Lovell is still a holder of ordinary and preference shares in Messrs. Lovell and Christmas; whether 4,690 preference and 11,170 ordinary shares are held by the Lovell family; whether Mr. Robert Douglas Cubley, described by Mr. W. G. Lovell in his letter of the 7th December to the Llanelly Local Committee as the managing director of the Star Tea Company, still holds ordinary and preference shares in Messrs. Lovell and Christmas, Limited; and whether, having regard to the necessity of inspiring public confidence in the equitable administration of our food supply, he will consider the desirability of removing Mr. Lovell from a position which conflicts with his personal, family, and trade interests?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe answer to the first, third, and fifth parts of the question is in the affirmative. The answer to the second and fourth parts of the question is in the negative. I have no information:as to the matters raised in the sixth and Seventh parts. The Food Controller has always endeavoured to secure in every branch of his Department relating to supplies the services of a competent and experienced business man with full knowledge of the particular trade. Mr. W. G. Lovell is eminently fitted for such a post, and Lord -Rhondda is confident that his advice has always been given with an entire disregard of his personal interests.
76. Mr. WILLIAMSasked whether there were in December last two wholesale prices for butter fixed by the Ministry -of Food—one for butter in bulk:and the other for pounded butter; whether the price of the latter was £14 284 per ton more than that of bulk butter; whether the expense of passing butter through the pounding machine and its general handling does not exceed 60s. per ton; and on whose advice did the Food Controller fix the price of pounded butter at £14 per ton over that of butter in bulk?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe answer to the first two parts of the question is in the affirmative. The information available shows that the cost of putting up butter in 1-1b. rolls, and of providing wrappers, very considerably exceeds 60s. per ton. The prices for butter in bulk and for pounded butter were fixed by the Food Controller, after consultation with the Advisory Committee for the Control of Butter and Cheese Supplies.
77. Mr. WILLIAMSasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether his attention has been drawn to a letter dated 7th December, 1917, from one W. G. Lovell, of the Ministry of Food, to the local food control committee of Llanelly and the reply of the committee dated 14th December; whether he approves of the attempt of a trading company to escape prosecution for profiteering by going behind the back of the local committee to officials of his Department; whether Mr. W. G. Lovell was authorised to write the letter of 7th December suggesting to the local committee the advisability of withdrawing the prosecution of the Star Tea Company; and, if not, what disciplinary measures have been taken to prevent the repetition of an action which has aroused both indignation and suspicion in South Wales?
§ Mr. CLYNESThe Director of Supplies of Butter and Cheese ascertained from the Star Tea Company that their profits derived from the transaction in question did not exceed those authorised by the Food Controller. He thereup in suggested to the Llanelly Food Control Committee that, in view of a possible misunderstanding, it might be advisable to consider whether it was worth while going on with the case. In so Writing Mr. Lovell does not appear to have exceeded the limits of the discretion vested in him as a responsible officer of the Department.
Mr. WILLIAMSHas the hon. Gentleman seen the letter of 7th December, and does he know that it contains many misrepresentations; and, in view of the facts, will he look into the matter and ascertain whether this gentleman did not exceed his authority in writing such a letter to the 285 local food control committee regarding a company, the managing director of which is an important shareholder in his own private company?
§ Mr. CLYNESI have had put before me the general information upon which my reply is based, but I cannot recall the letter referred to.