§ 29. Miss Burtonasked the Minister of Food the retail price of bacon and the retail price of any specified cuts in November, 1951; what are the corresponding prices obtaining today; and what were the highest corresponding prices between these two dates.
Dr. HillThe average retail price of bacon was 2s. 7d. per lb. in November, 1951, and is now 3s. 8½d. per lb. From October, 1952, until August, 1953, the average retail price was 4s. 0¾d. per lb.
As the rest of the answer contains a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Miss BurtonDoes the Minister not think it is a pretty sharp practice by the party opposite to talk about bringing down the price of bacon when they were the first to put it up so much that even now it is a great deal higher than it was when we left office?
| SOME RETAIL PRICES OF BACON | |||||||||||
| — | November, 1951 | December, 1953, to date | Highest Intervening Price October, 1952–August, 1953 | ||||||||
| UNCOOKED AND BONELESS (in slices or pieces): | s. | d. | s. | d. | s. | d. | |||||
| Fore-end or shoulder | … | … | Unsmoked | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 2 | 11 | ||
| Smoked | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Middle | … | … | … | … | Unsmoked | 2 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 11 |
| Smoked | 2 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| Gammon or ham | … | … | Unsmoked | 3 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 8 | ||
| Smoked | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 9 | |||||
| Streak or belly: | |||||||||||
| thin | … | … | … | … | Unsmoked | 1 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 3 | |
| Smoked | 1 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | |||||
| thick | … | … | … | … | Unsmoked | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Smoked | 2 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 | |||||
| Back | … | … | … | … | Unsmoked | 3 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 7 |
| Smoked | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 7 | |||||
| COOKED, BONELESS AND SKINLESS: | |||||||||||
| Gammon or ham (in slices or pieces) | … | —* | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |||||
| Whole gammon or ham | … | … | … | —* | 6 | 2 | 7 | 2 | |||
| * Although subsidisedprices were prescribed for cooked gammon in slices or whole (4s. 2d. and 3s. 6d. respectively) in November, 1951, there were no supplies and high prices (10s. to 12s. per lb.) were obtained for canned ham. |
§ 30. Mr. Doddsasked the Minister of Food how much it now costs to obtain the same amount of meat obtainable in 1948 for 1s. 2d.
§ Mr. DoddsIs not the increase from 1s. 2d. to 2s. 2d. serious, and does not the hon. Gentleman appreciate that, if there is to be a further increase following derationing, the only meat which many people in the lower income groups will be able to get will be the scrag end? Will the Minister do something about it?
Dr. HillAlthough the hon. Member's Question implies that the ration of meat was 1s. 2d. in 1948, it was, in fact, 1s. 2d. for only a fortnight of that year, and in the other 50 weeks it was between 6d. and 13.
§ 31. Mr. George Craddockasked the Minister of Food the prices of butter,
Dr. HillThe hon. Lady will recollect that of the average increase of 1s. 1½d., 10d. was necessary at the end of 1951 in order to reduce the subsidies to the level fixed by the party opposite.
§ Following is the information:
§ margarine, cooking fat, cheese, bacon and bread, at October, 1951, levels with comparative figures for January, 1954.
Dr. HillAs the reply involves a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the Official Report.
§ Following is the information:
| Commodity | Unit | Retail Prices | |||
| at 1st October, 1951 | at 1st January 1954 | ||||
| s. | d. | s. | d. | ||
| Butter | lb. | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 |
| Margarine (domestic) | lb. | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| Cooking fat " | lb. | 1 | 4 | 1 | 8 |
| Cheese | lb. | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Bacon | lb. | 2 | 7* | 3 | 8½* |
| National bread | 3½ lb. | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| * Average of all cuts. |