§ 26. Mr. G. Thomasasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of the difficulties of fish fryers in obtaining supplies of main crop potatoes; and if he will now control the supply to ensure that adequate quantities are available to them.
Mr. AmoryI am not aware that fish fryers are at present experiencing difficulty in obtaining supplies of potatoes, though I know that they feel concern about their present high prices and about the availability of supplies for the remainder of the season. I am sure that control, even if it were practicable, would not produce extra supplies, and that it would cause many more difficulties for the fish fryers and other users than they will experience in a free market.
§ Mr. ThomasIs the Minister aware that his complacency about this question is surprising? Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the fish fryers themselves, in association, stated in the document which I have forwarded to him that they feel that supply decides the price? It is no use his brushing the question off by saying that he is concerned only with the supply.
Mr. AmoryI do not think that the hon. Gentleman has understood me correctly, and I hope that he will read my answer very carefully. The meeting to which I have referred, which my Department held recently with the trade, included representatives of the fish fryers. The answer is based on that up-to-date information. I do not think fish fryers would welcome the imposition of price control at the present time.