§ 15. Mr. E. Fernyhoughasked the Minister of Food if he will delay reducing the food subsidies until such time as the 1159 proposed legislation to improve retirement pensions, sickness benefit and unemployment benefit has been introduced and taken effect.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI cannot at present add to the statement of my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer when opening his Budget.
§ Mr. FernyhoughDoes not the right hon. and gallant Gentleman think there is something mean and despicable and dishonest in allowing food prices to rise, on reducing the subsidies, before the compensation which the Chancellor of the Exchequer promised in his Budget speech becomes effective? Has the right hon. and gallant Gentleman no qualms of conscience about the noble Lord who sits in another place and about what he said during the General Election? Will he not meet my wishes in this matter and thus avoid undeserved hardship being imposed on millions?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAll I can say is that we shall, of course, do what we possibly can to see that, as far as timing is concerned, the changes are made so as to cause the least possible hardship to the housewife.
§ Captain Richard PilkingtonWere not increases in price made under the last Government without any compensation whatsoever?
§ Mr. Herbert MorrisonWith reference to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr. Ferny-hough), could the right hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether this is a matter of Departmental administration or whether it is one of those matters of policy for which the Lord President of the Council and not the Minister of Food is responsible?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI can only say that it has been found impossible to introduce changes in social benefits under a period of several months, as the last Administration indeed discovered.
§ Mr. MorrisonWill the right hon. and gallant Gentleman answer the question of who is responsible for this matter of high policy, on the point put to him by my hon. Friend—is it himself, as Minister of Food, or is it the supervising Minister, the Lord President?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThat does not arise out of the Question, but I will tell the right hon. Gentleman—I am responsible.
§ Dr. Edith SummerskillAs this is a matter of first importance to the aged, the sick and the unemployed of this country, would the Minister give an undertaking now that these two things will be synchronised?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe right hon. Lady must realise that it is impossible to synchronise them. I repeat what I said, that we shall do everything we possibly can to bring the changes as near as possible in order to cause the least hardship.
§ 19 and 20. Miss Elaine Burtonasked the Minister of Food (1) why he proposes to withdraw the food subsidy from sugar, tea, fats and bacon yet not from butter;
(2) what will be the price of sugar, tea, fats and bacon when the food subsidy has been withdrawn.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI will, with permission, answer these Questions together.
§ Miss BurtonOn a point of order. I ask for your guidance, Mr. Speaker. Is it not becoming rather customary for Ministers to try to answer together Questions which have no relevance one to another? I would ask you, Mr. Speaker, whether Question 19 and Question 20 seem the same to you. They ask two different things: one asks for a statement on prices and the other for a reason, and I should have thought they would have been answered separately.
§ Mr. SpeakerI think we had better hear the answer. Perhaps it may manage to combine the two matters.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI think the hon. Lady will realise that the answer is quite relevant to the two Questions and that they can be taken together, because the hon. Lady asks why it is proposed to withdraw the food subsidy from certain foods, and—
§ Mr. A. C. ManuelOn a point of order. I should like your Ruling, on this, Mr. Speaker. As I understand the position, as to whether a Minister 1161 answers Questions together or not is at the discretion of the Member putting down the Question. If permission is refused, is it not then incumbent upon the Minister to answer each Question separately?
§ Mr. SpeakerI think it is always better for the dispatch of business to have the answer, and then, if it is unsatisfactory, to allow a supplementary question to elucidate the matter.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI think that the hon. Lady will realise, when she hears the answer, that it is quite fair.
Apart from tea, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, no proposals as suggested have been made.
§ Miss BurtonThat seems to be the answer to Question 19. Are we to assume from the answer that the subsidies are not to be withdrawn from sugar, fats, bacon and butter?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeNo, the hon. Lady cannot assume anything of the kind. As she must know, when we have a ceiling above which we must not go, on what particular commodity the price is raised is a matter which depends entirely upon the Minister, but, as I have said, no such proposals have yet been made.
§ Miss BurtonAre any of the subsidies on any of these foods to be withdrawn?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe hon. Lady will really have to wait and see. As my right hon. Friend said, from time to time announcements will be made. But no such proposals as she has suggested have been made.
§ Mrs. MannWill the right hon. and gallant Gentleman tell us when we may expect the worst—and could he tell us without referring to the grievous burden laid upon his shoulders by the late Government?
§ Miss BurtonMay I ask for an answer to Question 20? I am not being obstructive, but I do submit that I have not had an answer to that yet.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe hon. Lady was asking something which it is impossible to answer. She asked me to tell her what the prices will be as a consequence of certain proposals, which, as I have said, have not been made.
§ Mr. ChapmanSince the Minister tells us that these prices will rise from time to time, could he not give us an assurance that the rises will synchronise with the increase in social benefits?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAs I said in answer to a previous Question, we shall do everything we possibly can to bring the changes as near together as possible.
§ Miss BurtonI beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest opportunity.