MAXIMUM PRICE ORDERS.

HC Deb 10 June 1941 vol 372 cc24-5

42. Captain Lyons

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, whether he is aware that, so far as regards 14 of the 24 commodities scheduled in the standstill order, and for which no fresh prices have since been fixed, their maximum prices are the highest then obtaining, including whatever unchecked profiteering had then taken place; whether this condition is to continue; and whether he will take immediate steps to fix those maxima at fair rates?

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Major Lloyd George)

Since I gave an answer to my hon. and gallant Friend's Question on 21st May, upon which he has based the statement in the first part of the present Question, additional maximum price orders have been made, and certain further commodities have been dealt with in other ways. The position, therefore, is not now as stated. Steps are being taken to deal as quickly as possible with every item named in the Schedule to the Current Prices Order of 8th January last.

Captain Lyons

While I am glad that action has been taken, will my hon. and gallant Friend bear in mind that the remaining prices, which have not been touched, are those that the speculators themselves fixed, that they reached their highest point last Christmas, and that it was then that the Ministry fixed the standstill order?

Major Lloyd George

That is not quite the case. In some cases, it is true, prices were rather high, but the standstill order, as it is called, was a purely temporary thing, to operate until the transfer to the maximum price orders. There are very few cases in which the commodity is not covered by a maximum price order.

Captain Lyons

Are we to take it that those which; are not covered will be covered as s6on as possible; and is it not a fact that the standstill order was fixed on the price then obtaining?

Major Lloyd George

That is not quite the case. Some of those prices are admittedly higher than they ought to be, but the standstill order was always regarded as a purely temporary measure. My hon. and gallant Friend will appreciate that there are now very few commodities not covered by a maximum price order.