HC Deb 03 May 1951 vol 487 cc1405-6
28. Major Guy Lloyd

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the offices of his Department, used for the collection of food prices, during the last three months collected the prices per pound actually being charged in their locality for each of the following items required for the compilation of the interim index of retail prices; and how many offices made a nil return: beef, home-killed, 1st quality, sirloin, without bone, topside, silverside

NUMBER OF OFFICES OF THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND NATIONAL SERVICE WHICH COLLECTED PRICES PER POUND FOR THE UNDER-MENTIONED ARTICLES, OR WHICH MADE A NIL RETURN, DURING THE THREE MONTHS, JANUARY TO MARCH, 1951.
Article Number of offices which collected prices Number of offices making nil returns
Mid-January, 1951 Mid-February, 1951 Mid-March, 9151 Mid-January 1951 Mid-February, 1951 Mid-March, 1951
Beef, home-killed, 1st quality: Sirloin (without bone), topside, silverside, or thick flank, without bone 188 188 189 12 12 11
The corresponding cut in Scotland 192 190 191 8 10 9
Mutton, home-killed, 1st quality: Leg, except chop, with bone 184 178 180 16 22 20
Lamb, home-killed, 1st quality: Loin, except chop 182 177 177 18 23 23
Shoulder, with bone 181 176 179 19 24 21
Mutton, imported, leg, except chop, with bone 180 164 164 20 36 36
Lamb, imported, loin, except chop 187 182 183 13 18 17
Pork, home-killed, leg, foot off, except leg chops 99 109 138 101 91 62
Pork sausages 149 139 148 51 61 52
Ox liver 140 139 136 60 61 64

or thick flank; mutton, home-killed, 1st quality, leg, except chop, with bone; lamb, home-killed, 1st quality, loin, except chop, shoulder, with bone; mutton, imported, leg, except chop, with bone; lamb, imported, loin, except chop; pork, home-killed, leg, foot off, except leg chops; pork sausages; ox liver.

Mr. Robens

As the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Major Lloyd

While I anticipated at least part of that reply, might I ask the right hon. Gentleman why, in view of the fact that so few of these commodities are available, and as the prices are presumably controlled and therefore known in the Minister's Department, it is necessary to employ a large number of officials to snoop around trying to find out prices which he knows already?

Mr. Robens

If the articles are not available a nil return reaches us, which gives us additional information.

Major Lloyd

How many of the Minister's officials reported that they had seen or knew the price of a sirloin of beef?

Mr. Robens

When the hon. and gallant Member sees the reply he will have all these figures.

Following is the information:

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