§ 30. Mrs. Castleasked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of the difficulty housewives experience in buying soap at shops where they are not regular customers; and whether, in view of this, he will make it possible for them to buy soap at the shops where they are registered for general rations.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Dr. Edith Summerskill)I appreciate that it is not always easy for housewives to get the type of soap they require but I am not aware that they have any special difficulties in buying their rationed quantities. My hon. Friend's proposal would not, therefore, assist housewives.
§ Mrs. CastleIs the hon. Lady aware that in one case in my constituency, of which I sent her particulars, a grocer with a considerable number of registered customers has been refused his soap allocation by her Ministry, with the result that his customers have great difficulty in getting soap elsewhere? Will the hon. Lady rectify this position?
§ Dr. SummerskillI think that my hon. Friend is referring to Mr. Goodwin. I would like to remind her that we investigated this case and we found that there were 12 shops selling soap within 400 yards of his shop.
§ Mrs. CastleIs the hon. Lady aware, as housewives in this country are fully aware, that it is not always easy to get soap by a casual, purchase at a shop where one is not known and is not a regular customer? That was the difficulty in this case.
§ Dr. SummerskillI would remind the hon. Lady that I am a housewife and that I use soap.