HC Deb 08 March 1920 vol 126 cc880-3
9. Lieut.-Colonel Sir F. HALL

asked the President of the Board of Trade what price was charged the public for imported mutton on 1st July and 1st October, 1919, and 1st January and 1st March, 1920, respectively?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of FOOD (Mr. McCurdy)

I have been asked to reply. The maximum retail prices fixed for imported mutton vary according to the different cuts, for each of which a separate retail price is prescribed. I am sending the hon. and gallant Member copies of the Schedules of prices in force on the various dates referred to.

Sir F. HALL

Cannot the hon. Gentleman tell me what are the prices? Surely that would not require a lengthy reply.

Mr. McCURDY

There are about 25 different cuts in a sheep and a retail price is fixed for each cut. These retail prices do, however, bear a fixed relation to the wholesale prices which are fixed by the Board of Trade, to which the Food Minister only adds a certain percentage. The wholesale prices on the dates referred to were:—

On the 1st July, 1919 … 11½d.
On the 7th July, 1919 … 10½d.
On the 1st Oct., 1919 … 10½d.
On the 1st Jan., 1920 … 10½d.
On the 1st March, 1920 … 10½d.

I am anticipating that on the 15th March next a new schedule of retail prices will be brought into effect and it will be based on the lower wholesale price of 9d.

Sir F. HALL

Docs not that show the very large percentage of profit the Government has been making?

Mr. McCURDY

No, Sir. I wish to state most plainly that these prices show no profit at all, and if hon. Members would only realise that they are dealing here with special cargoes which were purchased during the war and to which war costs and charges of very kind have to be added, they will then be able to understand what perhaps is a little puzzling at first, why it is that the actual cost to the Government is approximately 10d. per lb.

Sir F. HALL

Has the hon. Gentleman seen the reply I received from the Board of Trade only last Thursday giving what the mutton actually cost the Government, and does he realise the tremendous percentage of difference between the prices he has given and those given by the Board of Trade?

Mr. McCURDY

I have not in mind the answer the hon. Member refers to, but I have no doubt as to the accuracy of the figures in the statement I have just read.

Mr. G. TERRELL

Will the hon. Gentleman circulate the detailed figures so that hon. Members may have access to them?

Mr. McCURDY

I will see if it is possible to do so. Perhaps the hon. Member will put down a question, and then the information he requires can be circulated in the form of an answer to that question.

Mr. SEDDON

Would it not be better to have a loss than let the stuff rot?

Mr. G. TERRELL

Will the hon. Gentleman circulate the information he proposes to give to the hon. Member who asked the question with the papers today?

Mr. McCURDY

I will if it is possible. I will go back to the Ministry of Food and give instructions if it is possible. As regards the question of the hon. Member (Mr. Seddon), as to whether it would be advantageous to sell at a loss to the Treasury, that is not a matter for the Ministry of Food to decide.

19. Colonel NEWMAN

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, having regard to the fact that the supply of meat held by the Government in this country, in the overseas dominions, and elsewhere is more than sufficient for the needs of our population until the end of the year, he will say if there is any reason, other than the reluctance to incur a loss on the original purchase price, which prevents large quantities of this meat of inferior quality being placed on the market and sold for whatever price it will fetch in open competition with home-grown supplies?

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

The stock of meat held by the Government in this country and elsewhere is not nearly so large as the normal consumption until the end of this year. A reduction in the price of imported mutton has been announced and will come into operation at an early date, but no sufficient reason exists for reducing the price of other imported meat.

Colonel NEWMAN

Does the hon. Member agree with what Lord Devon-port said, that the docks and warehouses are choked with all that we want up to the end of the year?

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

I must see all the figures before I can say whether I agree with them. I do not quite agree with the details so far as I have seen them.

Mr. E. WOOD

Can the hon. Gentleman say whether the cargoes of meat on the way to this country are in excess of usual cargoes for this season of the year?

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

What has happened is that we are getting now in this country meat which has been stored in Australia, and which we could not get during the War. We were unable to carry it, and now we are getting meat that we have not had for a long time.

Sir F. HALL

Is it not a fact that if the suggestions in the Report of the Committee which considered this subject had been carried out we should not have had this plethora of meat?

Colonel NEWMAN

Supposing this meat is put on the market, what will be the loss?

20. Mr. FORREST

asked whether the question of subsidising any of the Overseas Dominions meat companies was ever considered; and what decision, in that case, was reached?

Mr. BRIDGEMAN

Such a suggestion was put forward some time ago and was considered by the Inter-Departmental Committee on Meat Supplies which reported against it.