§ 41. Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether the 8d. per pound increase in the price of Brooke Bonds P.G. Tipped tea was made with his consent; why this was not referred to the National Board for Prices and Incomes; and whether he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Cledwyn HughesI was not given information to enable me to consider whether the increase was justifiable against the criteria set out in Cmnd. 4237. In view of this, and of other increases in tea prices similarly made without giving me advance information, my right hon. Friend the First Secretary of State and Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity and I are referring the industry to the National Board for Prices and Incomes.
§ Mr. LewisI thank my right hon. Friend for that reply. Is he aware how pleased we are to see that he and his Ministry are doing something positive to try to prevent what would appear to be quite unnecessary increases and the very high-handed attitude which has been adopted by some of these big businesses?
§ Mr. HughesI note what my hon. Friend has said.
§ Sir G. NabarroWould the right hon. Gentleman bear in mind that, from the statement on the front page of theDaily Mailyesterday, 16,500 individual price increases have now been notified since devaluation, and that wholesale grocers say that they are in the position of not being able to notify the Minister within the 28 days required simply because costs are rising so fast as to overtake any possibility of giving that notice?
§ Mr. HughesPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will await the statement which I hope to make on the general issue at the end of Question Time. As he and the House know perfectly well, the figure of 16,500 increases produced by theGrocerwas totally misleading.