§ 2. Mr. R. MORRISONasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has now received the Report of the Food Council upon milk prices; and when it will be published?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of TRADE (Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister)The Report was published on 14th March.
§ Mr. MORRISONDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to take, any action?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI understand that the Food Council, carrying out their usual procedure, have sent their Report, concurrently with publishing it, to both the associations concerned.
§ Mr. A. V. ALEXANDERIs the right hon. Gentleman satisfied as to the accuracy of the trade figures included in the Report? There are extraordinary differences shown.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERCertainly, I could not pronounce on that. The ordinary course which is followed in these matters is that the Food Council, after very careful investigation, make their Report, and send that Report to the people who are affected or criticised in it. The people have an opportunity of making any answer they wish, and the Food Council, I suppose, consider any reply that may be made. I think it would not be right for me to express an opinion.
§ Mr. ALEXANDERHas the right hon. Gentleman's attention been drawn to the discrepancy between a net profit of 10.8 per cent. on a turnover of £500,000 in one case, and only 2.8 per cent. net profit on a turnover of £5,500,000 in another case?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am not sure what inference the hon. Gentleman wishes to draw from that.
§ Mr. MONTAGUEThat public enterprise does not pay!
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI should be sorry to be drawn into an argument, but I gather that the small profit on a large turnover, and probably a large dividend, is a case of private enterprise.