§ 32. Mr. Hooleyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library of the House of Commons a weekly bulletin of retail food prices, showing the retail price of 40 staple foodstuffs in a major centre of population in each economic planning region of Great Britain.
§ Mr. PeartThe Cost of Living Advisory Committee is currently examining whether more information on regional prices should be collected and published. In the meantime my right hon. Friends and I are considering the best way of publishing regularly other information on retail food prices.
§ Mr. HooleyWhile I welcome my right hon. Friend's Answer, so far as it goes, may I ask whether he would agree that food prices are critical in our prices and incomes policy? Would he further agree that a lot of vague information is being bandied about in the Press, and that this proposal would give an authoritative central index to which one could make reference?
§ Mr. PeartI agree that it is important, in view of the effect of food prices on the prices and incomes policy. I am looking at this.
§ Mr. GodberWould the Minister care to have a word with his right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and suggest to him that, if he took Selective Employment Tax off the distributive trades, he would help alleviate some of the harm that this Government have done in that costs of distribution could be reduced?
§ Mr. PeartThe right hon. Gentleman knows that that is another matter entirely and is out of order on this Question.