HC Deb 08 December 1947 vol 445 c769
38. Mr. Sparks

asked the Minister of Food if he is aware that at Brentford Market retailers are often unable to get potatoes from wholesalers unless they also take expensive fruits and vegetables for which they have no sale; and what steps will he take to trace out and put a stop to the imposition of conditional sales at this and other markets.

Mr. Strachey

Where we can get sufficient evidence of such practices we immediately prosecute. I have had no complaints from Brentford, but if my hon. Friend can send me particulars of any which have reached him, I will gladly have them looked into.

Mr. Sparks

Is my right hon. Friend aware of the difficulty of obtaining such evidence because retailers are afraid that if they do come forward they will be unable to get further supplies? Would it not be possible to increase the vigilance of my right hon. Friend's representatives on this market to try to reduce this practice, which evidently does exist?

Mr. Strachey

I am very much aware of the difficulty my hon. Friend mentioned. We have just held a conference of enforcement officers in which we dealt with this question.

Mr. Francis Noel-Baker

Will the Minister send me a copy of the information in view of the fact that, although this market serves my hon. Friend's constituency, it happens to be in mine?

Mr. Strachey

Certainly.

Mr. Collins

Is my right hon. Friend aware that this difficulty could be easily overcome if retailers were given a potato entitlement in accordance with the size of their business, and that this could very easily be arranged by adaptation of the tomato allocation scheme?

Mr. Strachey

That might solve this difficulty, but in our view it would create another and a greater one.

Back to