§ 11. Sir WALTER de FRECEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the attention of the Food Council has been called to the recent large decline in the wholesale prices of meat and to the failure of the retailer to pass on the benefit to the consumer: and what steps it is proposed to take?
Sir P. CUNLIFEE-LISTERI understand that the attention of the Food Council has been called to the decline in the wholesale prices of meat in the first two weeks of November as compared with October. As to retail prices, these, of course, differ widely, but a decline is also noticeable in the retail prices shown on the list published each week by the Smithfield Markets' Committee during the same periods. The Food Council have under consideration the general question of meat prices, and I understand that their first Report on this subject will be made to me shortly.