§ 9. Miss Elaine Burtonasked the Minister of Food why plain mint sweets made by Glenns of Coventry, cost 10d. a quarter as compared with 5d. or 6d. a month ago; and if he has now freed sweets from price control.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeSeveral varieties of sweets are made by this firm wholly from unallocated ingredients and are not price controlled. If the hon. Member will furnish me with the particulars shown on the price ticket, of the actual name and classification group number of the product she has in mind, I will have inquiries made.
§ Miss BurtonIs the right hon. and gallant Gentleman aware that I shall be very glad to supply him with the information? Would not he agree that such a rise of this order would be undoubtedly unjustified at the present time?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI would say that uncontrolled sweets to which I referred 2264 are made from things like sweetened fat and fondants, which are bought from the Continent at very high prices. These have gone up in price recently, and I believe that is the explanation. But if the hon. Lady will give me particulars of the price, I will look into it.
§ 10. Miss Burtonasked the Minister of Food whether he is aware that the price of a Nutrex loaf in Coventry, before the Budget was 5½d., and on 22nd March 7d.; and why, as this is a proprietary bread and therefore unsubsidised, the price has risen in this way.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThis bread is not subject to price control. Apart from the general increase in the price of flour I am not aware of the factors which have led to this particular increase.
§ Miss BurtonWould not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman agree it is a very wrong attitude that firms like this should take advantage of the Budget? Furthermore, can he inform the House whether the Chancellor of the Exchequer took these price rises into account when he arrived at the estimate of 1s. 6d. increase per head for food this year?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeObviously, because the price of flour was increased immediately after the Budget. Therefore, it must have been taken into account.
§ Mrs. CastleDo not these sympathetic price increases, which are spreading like a rash across the face of the country, show the need for the re-imposition of price controls instead of the removal of them?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeNo, Sir. I think the hon. Lady is mistaken. Firms are not allowed to sell this kind of bread unless there is controlled-price bread available as well.