HC Deb 08 December 1947 vol 445 cc767-9
35. Mr. Erroll

asked the Minister of Food what information he possesses regarding the retail prices being charged for nuts; and what steps he is taking to prevent a further serious rise in prices.

Mr. Strachey

Owing to the many varieties and the limited quantity of nuts available my Department does not keep records of their retail prices; and I do not propose to control the price of the very small quantity which has just been auctioned.

Mr. Erroll

As Brazil nuts are now costing as much as 7½d. per nut, does the Minister intend to do nothing about the matter at all?

Mr. Strachey

The supply available, which cannot be replaced for currency reasons at the present time, simply does not justify a control scheme.

Mr. Austin

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that auctioneering of walnuts has been catastrophic because it has led to these nuts being entirely out of the reach of the pocket of members of the working class for Christmas?

Mr. Strachey

I realise the difficulties, but the supply is so limited. There was such a very small stock available, it simply had to be auctioned.

Mr. Norman Bower

It is not a fact that the retail price at which these nuts are being sold is three to four times as high as the prices at which the trade offered to sell if they were distributed through them?

Mr. Strachey

The trade was not in a position to fix the retail price.

Mr. Skeffington-Lodge

Is the Minister aware that the pleas for control on the other side of the House are quite out of accordance with their theory of setting the people free?

Captain John Crowder

Can the Minister say what profit was made out of these sales?

Mr. Strachey

There is another Question on the Paper about that.

84. Mr. Norman Bower

asked the Minister of Food if he is yet in a position to state the price paid by the Ministry for the edible nuts in shell recently auctioned, together with the amount realised from the sale, and the profit which the Ministry secured; and if not, when this information will be available.

Mr. Strachey

On the information we have at present, the total realisation from the auctions is about £1¾ million, and the profit to my Department about £1¼ million. There are some small residual sales still to be made, but these should not make much difference to the figures.

Mr. Bower

Can the Minister say whether he intends to continue to exploit the public by making similar monopoly profits in future?

Mr. Strachey

No, Sir. This, unfortunately, was the end of the nut supply. What has happened is that we cannot, for currency reasons, replace them today. There is no question of going on with the procedure.

Captain Crowder

Can the Minister say whether it is the policy of the Ministry to make a profit on the sale of goods in short supply at the expense of the consumer? Is that their policy?

Mr. Strachey

No, Sir. The vast majority of the foodstuffs we sell to the consumer are sold at a loss, as hon. Members know—that is the subsidy they have in mind. We were satisfied that there was no practicable and fair method of distribution for this small stock of nuts, except by auctioning them.