§ 39. Mr. LOUIS SMITHasked the Minister of Agriculture the average difference between the price paid to the farmer and that paid by the public for mutton and beef during the past six months?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI regret that I am not in a position to furnish the information asked for by my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. SMITHHaving regard to the desperate position of many farmers at the present time could not the right hon. Gentleman supply the information? The difference in the prices is very wide?
§ Sir J. GILMOURIt would be very difficult. There are some figures published by the Ministry of Labour, but they are only for selected foodstuffs, and to produce further figures would be very costly.
§ Mr. MACQUISTENIs not the difference between the gross profits something like 80 to 100 per cent.?
§ 41. Mr. PIKEasked the Minister of Agriculture the average prices of home and foreign produced meat per pound during the past three months?
§ Sir J. GILMOURAs the answer contains a number of figures, I propose, with my hon. Friend's permission, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The average wholesale prices (per lb.) of beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork (mean of 1st and 2nd quality) at Birmingharn, Leeds, London and Manchester, also prices (per cwt.) of bacon (mean of 1st and 2nd quality) at Bristol, Liverpool and London, for the months April to June, 1932, are shown in the following table:
1106| — | April. | May. | June. |
| Beef. | s. d. | s. d. | s. d. |
| Scotch, longsides | 0 8⅜ | 0 8⅜ | 0 8¾ |
| English, steer and heifer. | 0 8 | 0 8⅛ | 0 8½ |
| English, cow and bull | 0 5¾ | 0 5⅝ | 0 5¾ |
| Argentine, chilled hindquarters. | 0 6⅜ | 0 6¼ | 0 6⅛ |
| Australian, frozen hindquarters. | 0 4⅜ | 0 4⅝ | 0 4⅜ |
| Veal. | |||
| English | 0 10½ | 0 10⅜ | 0 10½ |
| Mutton. | |||
| English | 0 8 | 0 8 | 0 7⅞ |
| Argentine, frozen | 0 4½ | 0 4⅛ | 0 3½ |
| New Zealand, frozen | 0 4½ | 0 4⅛ | 0 4 |
| Lamb. | |||
| English | 1 2⅛ | 1 0¾ | 0 10⅜ |
| Argentine | 0 5⅛ | 0 5¾ | 0 5⅜ |
| Australian | 0 6 | 0 6 | 0 5⅜ |
| New Zealand | 0 7⅛ | 0 6⅞ | 0 6⅜ |
| Pork. | |||
| English | 0 7½ | 0 7¼ | 0 6⅛ |
| Irish* | 0 7½ | 0 7 | 0 5¾ |
| New Zealand, frozen | 0 5¾ | 0 5¾ | 0 5⅜ |
| Bacon. | |||
| English*, green sides | 75 6 | 86 6 | 81 6 |
| Irish, green sides | 77 6 | 86 0 | 79 0 |
| Danish, green sides | 53 0 | 66 6 | 58 6 |
| Dutch, green sides | 46 0 | 64 0 | 53 6 |
| * Prices at London only. |