§ 19. Captain RAMSAYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he 184 has by now had an opportunity of checking the figure of 120s. a ton as the price of Majestics in Scotland for the week ending 8th April; and, in view of the fact that there was a discrepancy of over £1 a ton on this point between his figures and those of the Potato Marketing Board, will he make a statement on the subject?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Dr. Burgin)I am grateful to my hon. and gallant Friend for affording me an opportunity of explaining the discrepancy to which he draws attention. The difference is due to the fact that while the figure of 90s. which he quoted in the Debate on 9th April was the growers' price, the price of 120s. quoted by me was the average wholesale price. I regret that the price of 120s. per ton was described as the price of Majesties, whereas it was in fact the average of three kinds of potatoes, including Majesties.
§ Captain RAMSAYMay I ask my hon. Friend whether in future, on such an important point as the price of potatoes, on which the Debate depended, we may have reliable figures from the Board of Trade? Those figures were not only quoted, but figures were given to contradict the figures which I gave, and they bore no relation to the subject.
§ Sir JOSEPH LAMBIs it not a fact that the growers' dispute with the Government is on the difference between the growers' price and the retail price?