HC Deb 24 March 1930 vol 237 cc33-4
65. Mr. GOULD

asked the Minister of Agriculture the average wholesale price of milk as sold to the combines, both summer and winter, for the past three years?

Mr. N. BUXTON

As the reply is long and contains a statistical table, I propose,

PRICES (Per gallon) received by producers from distributors as arranged under the National Agreement of the Permanent Joint Milk Committee.
— 1927. 1928. 1929.
A. B. C. A. B. C. A. B. C.
d. d. d. d. d. d. d. d. d.
January … 16½ 14½ 8 16½ 14½ 8 17 16 8¾
February … 16½ 14½ 8¼ 16½ 14½ 8¼ 17 16 8½
March … 16½ 14½ 7¼ 16½ 14½ 8¾ 16 15 8¼
April … 12 11 7 12 11 8¾ 12 11 8¼
May … 12 11 7½ 12 11 9 12 11 8¼
June … 12 11 7¾ 12 11 9 12 11 8¼
July … 12 11 7¾ 12 11 9½ 12 11 8
August … 12 11 —* 12 11 — 16 15 —
September … 12 11 — 12 11 — 16 15 —
October … 16½ 14½ 9 16 15 — [...]16 15 —
November … 16½ 14½ 8¾ 17 16 — †16⅓ 15⅓ 14⅓
December … 16½ 14½ 8¼ 17 16 — [...]17 16 15
A. Price for milk delivered to buyer's station.
B. Price for milk delivered to creameries but subject to deduction of actual railway carriage.
C. Price for milk surplus to contract quantity at sender's station.
* In months where a blank is shown the full delivery was accepted.
† Three classes are provided under the agreement for 1929–1930, and the prices shown above are the mean of those for the three classes.

with my hon. Friend's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. SMITHERS

Will the report which the right hon. Gentleman proposes to circulate contain the prices given in respect of Grade "A" and T.T. milk?

Mr. BUXTON

The figures are very ample, and perhaps the hon. Gentleman will study the answer which has been given.

Following is the reply:

Prices paid to producers for milk are for the most part in accordance with the terms agreed by the Permanent Joint Milk Committee on which the organisations of producers and distributors are represented. The national agreement governs the price of the bulk of the milk supplied to London, but in other areas this agreement is subject to local variation. In addition to the contracts made under these agreements, it sometimes happens for various reasons, especially in the summer, that the whole output of a producer, irrespective of quantity variations, is purchased at a flat rate which is rather below the prices shown under column "A" in the following table, which gives the prices settled under the national agreements for the past three years.