§ 20. Mr. Dyeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fat cattle were received for grading and slaughter during the first quarter of 1956; and what were the comparative figures for the first quarter of 1955.
Mr. Amory255,549 cattle were certified at livestock and deadweight centres for slaughter during January-March, 1956, compared with 295,916 in January-March, 1955. I have no information as to how many cattle did not go through the certification procedure.
§ 21. Mr. Dyeasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the average price per live hundredweight at which fat cattle graded for slaughter were sold in the auction markets during January, February and March, 1956; and similar figures for 1955.
Mr. AmoryThe average market price for fat cattle certified at auction sales during January-March, 1956, was 132s. 11d. per live hundredweight compared with 158s. 4d. in the corresponding period for 1955.
§ Mr. DyeIn view of this drop in the price of home-produced fat cattle, does the right hon. Gentleman still think that home producers have ample facilities for learning how much imported beef is coming in and are thus able to market their produce to the best advantage?
Mr. AmoryI think very few people know—it is only a guess—just how much meat is going to come in under free market conditions. Producers have good scope for understanding the trend of the market, which has been steadily upwards.
§ Mr. ChampionHas the fall in wholesale prices been reflected in the retail prices?
Mr. AmoryThere has been some levelling out. When the wholesale price went up to its peak about a year ago, retail prices did not reflect entirely the whole of that rise. Now there has been some fall in wholesale prices, but the level of retail prices has not entirely reflected it.
§ Mr. StudholmeWhat was the average support price last year and at the beginning of this year?
§ Mr. J. GriffithsThe right hon. Gentleman said he would not take action to prevent prices increasing. Are we now to understand that he will not take any action to ensure that a fall in wholesale prices is reflected in the retail prices?
Mr. AmoryNo, Sir. I have no intention of taking action in the sense of price control to effect that. Intervention on my part could not be helpful. We must rely on the force of competition to see that, in the long run, prices come down.