Oranges and Lemons (Hansard, 20 February 1946)

§ 52. Mrs. Ayrton Gould
asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that while oranges and lemons are on short supply in greengrocers' shops, they can be bought in practically unlimited quantities from costermongers' barrows in the West End, off the ration; and will he take steps to see that the fruit is properly distributed.

§ Sir B. Smith
Licensed street traders in London are graded for supplies of oranges and lemons on precisely the same basis as all other retailers, and I am taking all possible steps to ensure that irregularities are not committed.

§ Mrs. Ayrton Gould
Is the Minister of Food aware that the orange and the lemon that I hold in my hands were purchased at the corner of Coventry Street and Wardour Street for 2d. and 4d. respectively; that just North of Leicester Square there were five barrows selling off-ration fruit above controlled prices; and that when these barrows were empty, they disappeared and were brought back again in a few minutes replenished to continue the illegitimate trading? Will the right hon. Gentleman see that this is stopped, and that the retailers get proper supplies?

§ Sir B. Smith
What I would suggest to the hon. Lady is this, that she was apparently on the site at the time and that she should have reported to the police directly.

§ Captain Baird
Does the Minister consider that the present method of allocation of fruit, which is based on the 1939 turnover, is equitable, as since that time there 1151 has been a large shifting of the population so that some areas are very short of fruit at the present time?

§ Sir B. Smith
All shifts in the population are taken note of and everyone, therefore, is getting an equitable distribution.

§ Lieut.-Colonel Byers
Are we to understand from the Minister that he does not intend to take any action on this matter? May we have an answer?

§ Sir B. Smith
Certainly you may have an answer. I was not aware personally, naturally, of any of the faults that have been attributed to these people. I have put the onus on to the hon. Lady to report to me if she finds anything on these occasions. [An Hon. Member: She has just done so."] I am sorry, she has not done so. If she will do so 1 will have the matter looked into immediately. If I had been the hon. Lady in those circumstances I should not have hesitated to call the police immediately.

§ Mrs. Ayrton Gould
I immediately informed the police, who said it was the business of the enforcement officer. I at once put a Question down the next day in the House.

Hon. Members
Answer.

§ Sir B. Smith
How can I answer a question of which only my hon. Friend has knowledge? [An Hon. Member: "The answer is a lemon."] I did not personally see all these things. What I can say is that my enforcement. officers are doing the best they can in the circumstances. It is a very sad thing to contemplate that there are such vicious people in the land who will do the things that apparently my hon. Friend has witnessed.