§ 31. Mr. Liptonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what he estimates the effect will be of the recent Price Review on the general level of retail food prices.
§ Mr. SoamesThe retail price of milk will go up by ½d. a pint for one extra month which will mean an increase of about 0.16 on the all-items index of retail prices for that one month. Apart from this the Review decisions will have no direct effect on what the consumer pays.
§ Mr. LiptonIs it not by now quite obvious that the Government have got themselves into a frightful mess over the relationship between subsidies and retail prices to the consumers, whose interests we are supposed to have regard to? Has not the right hon. Gentleman noticed that the slight fall in prices—to which he may have referred in previous answers bears no relation at all to the tremendous cost to the taxpayer, or to the value which the consumer is getting, or to the millions of £s of subsidies which the Minister is dishing out at present?
§ Mr. SoamesThat is unfair. They bear a considerable relationship—and there have been considerable price falls. Furthermore, the hon. Member knows perfectly well that as a result of this system the consumer in this country has been getting his food much cheaper than have consumers in European countries which follow other systems.