§ 39. Mr. P. Bellasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the present stocks of potatoes in the country.
Mr. AmoryAny statistical estimates of this kind would be unreliable; but for the time being there are plentiful supplies on offer at reasonable prices.
§ Mr. BellCan my right hon. Friend confirm that 150,000 tons of potatoes were imported in the middle of April just to avoid the Dutch embargo and that most of these are still available on the market for consumers?
§ Mr. ChetwyndAll going bad.
Mr. AmoryI do not think I can go beyond what I have said—that at the moment there are plentiful supplies available, but during the last two weeks 2202 imports have been at a very low level indeed.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, on the basis of inaccurate and out-of-date figures, he misled the public into believing that there was a real shortage of potatoes, whereas the shortage was quite artificial, as the recent importers of Dutch potatoes have found to their cost?
Mr. AmoryOn the contrary. What I said has turned out to be exactly true. I advised the public to show restraint as long as the price remained very high. Now that the price has come down substantially, I have no doubt that the public will decide that the potato bought at its present price is good value.
Mr. IrvingIs the Minister aware that the "Fruit Trades Journal" says this week that a threat of price control would burst the bubble of high prices without damage to anybody?
§ 40. Mr. P. Belll asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the average wholesale price of potatoes immediately before 14th April, 1956, and what is the present average wholesale price.
Mr. AmoryInformation is not available to ascertain a single average price covering all markets, varieties, and quantities of imported and home-grown main-crop potatoes. Since 14th April, wholesale prices of home-grown potatoes have declined by up to £5 a ton; and of sound imported potatoes by up to £15 a ton.
§ Mr. BellIs not this fall in price largely attributable to the prompt action of the importers, at their own considerable risk of loss, in importing large quantities of potatoes before the foreign export market was closed down?
Mr. AmoryI think that those critics of the middle-men should remember that this is an instance where the merchant and middle-man, in the performance of his proper duty in ensuring as far as he can supplies to the consumer, does so sometimes at considerable financial risk.
§ Mr. HamiltonWill the right hon. Gentleman give a firm assurance that no 2203 public money will be used to subsidise importers who have burnt their fingers in so importing?