§ 1. Mr. W. BAKERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will issue a comparative table showing the pre-War price of biscuits as compared with the price to-day; and whether he will bring the figures to the special attention of the Food Council?
§ 6. Mr. SMITH-CARINGTONasked the President of the Board of Trade what subjects are now under the consideration of the Food Council; and whether it is proposed to make an early investigation of the high price of biscuits?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing pre-War prices of biscuits as compared with present prices. This table will be available to the Food Council, who, however, are already fully occupied with inquiries into the prices of meat, milk and fish.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERYes, but I think the hon. Gentleman will agree that it is more important that the Food Council should address themselves to the more important articles of universal consumption first.
§ Mr. WOMERSLEYMay I ask on what date the Food Council will commence their inquiry into fish prices?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI should like notice of that question, but I think they have already commenced preliminary investigations.
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSWill the table show prices for a great variety of qualities?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI would ask my hon. Friend to inspect the table. It has a number of items, but I am not sufficiently an expert myself to say how far it reflects all the qualities.
§ Mr. BAKERHaving regard to the large field which has to be surveyed, will 173 the right hon. Gentleman consider the possibility of adding to the number of the Food Council, or in some other way expediting its business?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, I do not think it would be useful to add to the number of a body which is already representative.
§ Mr. JOHNSTONCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us whether the Food
| Kind of Biscuit. | Prices at end of 1913. (Per lb.) | Present Prices. (Per lb.) | ||||
| s | d. | s. | d. | |||
| Abernethy, thick | … | … | 6 | 1 | 4 | |
| Arrowroot, plain | … | … | 8 | 1 | 4 | |
| Captain, thin oval | … | … | 5½ | 1 | 2 | |
| Chocolate, mixed | … | … | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Crackers, Texas | … | … | 7 | 1 | 5 | |
| Cuddy | … | … | 4 | 11½ | ||
| Dinner | … | … | 10 | 2 | 2 | |
| Garibaldi | … | … | 7 | 1 | 4 | |
| Ginger nuts | … | … | 7 | 1 | 3 | |
| Lunch | … | … | 4 | 1 | 0½ | |
| Marie | … | … | 8½ | 1 | 5 | |
| Milk | … | … | 5½ | 1 | 3 | |
| Oaten | … | … | 9½ | 1 | 7 | |
| Osborne | … | … | 7½ | 1 | 5 | |
| Pat-a-Cakes | … | … | 7 | 1 | 4 | |
| Petit Beurre | … | … | 7 | 1 | 5 | |
| Queen's Shorties | … | … | 7 | 1 | 4 | |
| Ratafia | … | … | 1 | 6 | 3 | 8 |
| Royal Scot | … | … | 7 | 1 | 4 | |
| Shortcake | … | … | 7 | 1 | 4 | |
| Tea | … | … | 6 | 1 | 2½ | |
| Wafers, Little Mary | … | … | 6 | 1 | 2 | |
| Water, highly baked | … | … | 5½ | 1 | 2 | |
| Wheatmeal | … | … | 8½ | 1 | 6 | |
| Wine, mixed | … | … | 8½ | 1 | 8½ | |
| Butterette | … | … | 1s. 8d. per tin of 2¼ lbs. 4d. allowed on tin. | 1s. 44d. per lb. in 2i lb. tins. 8d. allowed on tin. | ||
| Crackers, Cold Water | … | … | 1s. 4d. per tin of 2¼ lbs. 4d. allowed on tin. | 1s. 1½ d. per lb. in 3 lb. tins. 8d. allowed on tin. | ||
| Crackers, Cream | … | … | 3s. 6d. per tin of 5 lbs. 8d. allowed on tin. | 1s. 2½d. per lb. in 5 lb. tins. 1s. allowed on tin. | ||
| Digestive | … | … | 2s. 2d. per tin of 2¾ lbs. 3d. allowed on tin. | 1s. 5½d. per lb. in 7 lb. tins. 1s. allowed on tin. |