§ 78. Mr. Piratinasked the Minister of Food what is the national increase in cost to consumers arising from the raising of the controlled prices of cocoa, chocolate, milk and tea, based on current consumption, stating separately the amounts for each item.
§ Dr. SummerskillOn current consumption, the estimate for 12 months would be: Chocolate and chocolate confectionery, £4½ million; cocoa powder and drinking chocolate, £900,000; Milk, £19 million; tea, £6 million.
§ Mr. PiratinFrom what I have heard, it seems that the total is about £29 million that is to be the increase of the cost of living of the people of this country. Therefore, may I ask the Minister whether this is part of a policy deliberately to inflate prices, because that probably will not accord with the Government's policy of pegging wages? What is the policy on the matter? Are we inflating deliberately, or are we not?
§ Dr. SummerskillI can assure the hon. Gentleman that we are keeping prices within the cost-of-living index.
§ 79. Mr. Piratinasked the Minister of Food if he will make a statement showing the increases and decreases in the price of food that have taken place since 1st May in comparison with prices as at 1st January.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe answer calls for a rather long list of figures, and, with permission, I propose to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. PiratinCan the Minister, however, say this? Are there any decreases in this period, and, roughly, what is the number of decreases and the number of increases?
§ Dr. SummerskillThe decreases are for bananas and bacon. The rest are all increases.
§ Colonel Gomme-DuncanWill the hon. Lady compare these increases or decreases with the increases that have just been announced in Russia?
§ Following is the answer:
| LIST OF CONTROLLED FOODS, THE PRICES OF WHICH HAVE VARIED SINCE 1ST MAY, IN RELATION TO THE PRICE AT 1ST JANUARY, 1947. | |||||
| (Unit: 1 lb. except when otherwise stated.) | |||||
| — | Price at 1st January, 1947. | Price at 28th June, 1947. | Increase + Decrease - over 1st January price. | ||
| Bacon. | |||||
| Various cuts | 1s. 2d./2s. 5d. | 11d./2s. 1d. | -3d./4d. | ||
| Bananas. | s. | d. | s. | d. | d. |
| (Price in United Kingdom excepting some Scottish Counties). | 1 | 1 | 11 | -2 | |
| Canned Sweet Puddings. | |||||
| A1 tall or 1 lb. flat cans containing 14½ ozs. net or more of any variety. | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | +4 |
| Cereal Breakfast Foods. | |||||
| Brown & Poison's Wheat Flakes 8 ozs. | 6 | 7 | +1 | ||
| C.W.S. Breakfast Flakes 8 ozs. | 6½ | 7½ | +1 | ||
| Dalton's Cereal Flakes 8 ozs. | 6 | 7½ | +1½ | ||
| Farmer's Glory 12 ozs. | 8½ | 10 | +1½ | ||
| Granose Biscuits 14 ozs. | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4½ | +1½ |
| Kellogg's Corn Flakes 8 ozs | 5 | 6½ | +1½ | ||
| Kellogg's Wheat Flakes 8 ozs. | 5½ | 6¼ | +¾ | ||
| Quaker Malted Corn Flakes 8 ozs. | 5 | 8 | +3 | ||
| Quaker Puffed Wheat 8 ozs | 6½ | 7¼ | +¾ | ||
| Quaker Wheat Flakes 8 ozs. | 5½ | 6¼ | +¾ | ||
| Sunny bisk (24 biscuits) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2½ | +1½ |
| Wafer Wheat Flakes 8 ozs. | 5½ | 6½ | +1 | ||
| Weetabix (12 biscuits) | 7½ | 8½ | +1 | ||
| Weetabix (24 biscuits) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | +2 |
| Wheat Puffs 8 ozs. | 8 | 9 | +1 | ||
| Cheese. | |||||
| Imported Blue Vein cheese, other than Roquefort cheese imported from France | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | +6 |
| Chocolate Confectionery. | |||||
| Plain Chocolate with or without fruit | mainly 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | +6 |
| exceeding 3 | 6 | 3 | 8 | +2 | |
| Full Cream Milk Chocolate Blocks | mainly 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 | +4 |
| Blended Chocolate Blocks | mainly 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 | +8 |
| Moulded Plain and Milk Chocolate lines with hard or soft centres. | not exceeding 2 | 8 1b. | — | +4 | |
| not exceeding 3 | 6 1b. | — | +2 | ||
| Plain and Milk Chocolate Covered Count lines. | not exceeding 2 | 8 1b. | — | +4 | |
| not exceeding 3 | 6 1b. | — | +2 | ||
| Plain and Milk Chocolate Covered Assortments. | not exceeding 3 | 6 1b. | — | +2 | |
| Chocolate Covered Toffees and Caramels. | not exceeding 2 | 8 lb. | — | +4 | |
| not exceeding 3 | 6 lb. | — | +2 | ||
| Dried Fruits. | |||||
| Dates, other than dates of African origin:— | |||||
| Stoned | 9 | 10 | +1 | ||
| Unstoned | 6 | 7 | +1 | ||
| Dried apples | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | +6 |
| Dried plums or prunes | 10 | 1 | 0 | +2 | |
| Sultanas | 10 | 1 | 0 | +2 | |
| Dried apricots | 1 | 6 | 1 | 9 | +3 |
| Dried nectarines | |||||
| Dried peaches | |||||
| Dried pears | |||||
| Honey. | |||||
| Imported (except specified brands) | 1 | 9 | 1 | 9½ | +½ |
| Imported (specified brands) | 1 | 10 | 1 | 10½ | +½ |
| Meat Products. | |||||
| Uncooked Beef Sausages | 11½ | 1 | 1 | +1½ | |
| Uncooked Beef Sausage Meat | 10 | 10½ | +½ | ||
| Potatoes per 7 lbs. | 5d./8d | 7d./10d. | +2 | ||
| Soya Flour. | |||||
| Sale of less than 28 lbs | 8½lb. | 10½lb. | +2 | ||
| Tea. | |||||
| All varieties of tea (other than China or Formosa) increased by 4d. per lb. | — | — | +4 |
§ 82. Mr. Sparksasked the Minister of Food the retail price of main fruits and vegetables before price control was withdrawn last autumn; and the comparative retail prices for the same commodities as at the nearest convenient date.
§ Dr. SummerskillOf the main fruits and vegetables only cabbages, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and leeks were decontrolled in price last autumn. To make a true comparison with the prices then ruling we should have to wait until next autumn as supplies and prices fluctuate with the seasons. I will, however, if he wishes, send my hon. Friend some detailed information about prices which will be of interest to him.
§ Mr. SparksIs the Minister aware that, despite the assurances that have come from her Department that, with the increased supplies of fruit and vegetables, the prices would fall, those assurances have not yet materialised? Can she say whether they are likely to materialise in the near future?
§ Dr. SummerskillI would remind my hon. Friend that there have been other factors. For instance, we gave open general licences for leafy vegetables during the last month or two. But, unfortunately, on 1st May we had to stop those, because of infestation by Colorado beetle.