31. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the fact that the Tomato Price Control Order was imposed at only three days' notice, causing great inconvenience and hardship to many growers, he will endeavour to give longer notice in future; if, as it was announced on 22nd March, 1948, that price control would only last six weeks, he will amend the present price control regulation from four months to two months; and will he state a definite date when price control will cease.
§ Mr. StracheySupplies of home grown tomatoes ready for market at this time of the year are almost negligible and the imposition of price control on 27th April cannot have caused hardship to home growers, particularly as the decision to reintroduce price control of tomatoes this year was announced first in January and repeated in March and April. It is our intention to free tomatoes from price control as soon as supplies are plentiful enough.
Mr. De la Bère.Why does not the right hon. Gentleman own up? Is it not a fact that he has treated the home growers with lack of consideration? They do not know when this will end and they do not know why it has been prolonged longer than was promised originally. The right hon. Gentleman has not kept his promise.
§ Mr. StracheyI agree with none of those suggestions.
Mr. De la BèreI shall raise this matter again. The right hon. Gentleman should own up when he is wrong.