§ 15. Mr. John Hyndasked the Minister of Food what considerations determine the allocation of bananas to retail fruiterers; and whether he is satisfied with the present arrangements which penalise the small retailer as against the larger emporiums.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAllocations have in general been based on greengrocery trade in 1939 with special arrangements for those entering the trade at later dates. I have no reason to think these arrangements penalise the small trader.
§ Mr. HyndIs not the Minister aware that the arrangements for allocating, banana supplies was based on the total amount of the wholesale orders placed by the trader? Traders in the big centres who dealt with the expensive fruits had bigger allocations, in relation to the quantities they sold, than the small trader who bought the cheaper fruits. That being so is not the small trader penalised in regard to the allocation of bananas?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI should be grateful if the hon. Gentleman will give me details of any cases he has in mind, and I will look into them. The fact is that these allocations have been altered on three or four occasions. They started on the basis of 1939 and two alterations have been made since bringing in new traders, especially in new housing estates. One of the difficulties this year has been that one of our great sources of supply, the West Indies, has been severely damaged by a hurricane.
§ Mr. HyndI shall be glad to supply details. Will the right hon. Gentleman look at the general principle of the point I have put to him?
§ Mr. G. R. MitchisonWill the right hon. Gentleman consider combing the world for bananas?
§ Mr. F. J. ErrollIs it not about time that we got away from 1939 as the basis?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThere have been different allocations since then.