§ 24. Sir ARTHUR FELLasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food if his attention has been called to the prices charged for common vegetables in the shops, about three or four times the ordinary prices; and, seeing that the increase of the growth of vegetables in the allotments should make vegetables cheap and plentiful, does he propose to take any steps to improve the position and render the supplies available?
§ Mr. CLYNESI am making inquiries into the alleged excessive charges for fresh vegetables, and will inform the hon. Member of the result of these inquiries at an early date.
§ Sir A. FELLDoes the hon. Gentleman not consider that the prices should not rise, seeing that there is so much more vegetables grown than there used to be?
§ Mr. CLYNESExperience has shown that the ordinary laws of supply and demand do not operate during war-time. We are quite conscious of the importance of this question of the cost of vegetables, and will do our best to deal with it.