93. Mr. DOYLEasked the Minister of Food if the price of sugar has been recently raised to the manufacturers of sweetened condensed milk to the figure of 1s. 4d. per lb. wholesale, as against 8½d. per lb. wholesale for sugar sold for use by the domestic consumer; whether 1040 this constitutes a handicap, both to the consumer and manufacturer of condensed milk; and whether it is liable to seriously interfere with a British industry on the eve of the flush milk season, when provision is usually made for winter stocks?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY OF FOOD (Sir W. Mitchell-Thomson)The price of sugar for all manufacturing purposes was raised on the 19th April to 150s. per cwt., a figure in accordance with the prices ruling on that date in the markets of the world. While the price for sugar for domestic consumption is being provisionally maintained at 80s. per cwt., this has only been made possible by the utilisation of sugar purchased at dates previous to the recent advances. Any rise in the price of a raw material must involve a certain hardship to both manufacturers and consumers, but I cannot agree that the Government should now subsidise the sweetened condensed milk industry by issuing to manufacturers of that commodity supplies of sugar at a price below its present cost.
§ Mr. BILLINGIs it not a fact that they are more than compensated by having vastly increased their prices owing to the extra price of sugar?