HC Deb 17 November 1970 vol 806 cc1013-7
7. Mr. Eadie

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what communications he has received about greater increases in food prices in new towns; and what reply he has sent.

Mr. Prior

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has replied to the hon. Member's letter.

Mr. Eadie

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that it has been conceded that there is an abnormal increase in prices in new towns? Is he also aware of the argument that this is because the spirit of competition does not prevail, in the new town of Livingston in particular? What do his Government propose to do about this?

Mr. Prior

I apologise to the hon. Gentleman for the fact that his letter first went to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, then came to my Department, and then returned to the Secretary of State for Scotland. I have examined the prices in Livingston. In certain cases there is a considerable difference between them and prices in other parts. I think that what will happen—and this is the right thing to happen—is that other businesses will come to Livingston and set up in competition. The fact that prices in Bathgate and Edinburgh, which are quoted in the hon. Gentleman's letter, are much lower is the best indication of that that the hon. Gentleman could have.

8. Mr. Eadie

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from consumer organisations on food prices; and what reply he has sent.

Mr. Prior

None, Sir.

Mr. Eadie

Does not the Minister agree that to some extent consumer protection in this country has been abandoned by the abolition of the Consumer Council, and that it is no solution to the problem to set up a Tory-front consumer organisation?

Mr. Prior

The only organisation that has written, I understand, is one that wrote to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, the Scottish Housewives' Association, which wrote about the price of food if we entered the Common Market. As for other consumer organisations, the best judge of the right price to pay for any article is the housewife or consumer who buys it.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Government's decision to abolish the Consumer Council is a most serious matter and has been received with considerable regret throughout the country?

Sir G. Nabarro

Rubbish!

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

Would the right hon. Gentleman now consider discussing the matter again with his colleagues in the Government with a view to taking a new attitude, because there is no doubt that the Consumer Council gave excellent advice and protected the consumer in a very real way from firms which were tending to take advantage of the housewife?

Mr. Prior

Matters concerning the Consumer Council are for my right hon. Friend and not for me. [Interruption.] I would certainly not dream of consulting my colleagues about the future of the now defunct Consumer Council, because I believe that competition is the right answer.

17. Mrs. Doris Fisher

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his estimate of the number of grocery food items that have increased in price from 1st August, 1970 until 30th September, 1970.

Mr. Prior

I do not make such estimates.

Mrs. Fisher

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that any housewife could furnish him with this list and that every housewife in Great Britain could tell him that competition is not keeping prices down?

Mr. Prior

What every housewife in Britain could also tell the House is that while we pay ourselves 14 per cent. more for doing only 3 per cent. more work—[Interruption.]—we shall have inflation, and we had better realise what that means and does.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that he has given a totally unsatisfactory reply to this Question? In view of the total failure of his policy of competition to stabilise food prices, will he now consider reviving the early warning system so that he at least can scrutinise the claims for increased prices which are being made and so that his officials may look at them to see whether or not they are justified? Would he give the House an undertaking that the question of decimalisation will be looked at very carefully; and may we have an assurance that when it takes place there will not be a levelling up of food prices but, rather, a levelling down?

Mr. Prior

I am always amazed by the ability of hon. Gentlemen opposite to forget their past so quickly. [Interruption.] Have they forgotten already that they are responsible for the fastest inflation that this country has had since the war? In their last two years in office food prices and the cost of living index went up by over 6 per cent. How can the right hon. Gentleman ask me at this stage to introduce a prices and incomes board which, when he was in office, had no effect whatever?

Mr. David Stoddart

The answer suggests that the Minister obviously does not know what is going on with prices, so how will the Prime Minister honour his election promise to act directly on prices—at a stroke?

Mr. Prior

It would be a great condemnation of hon. Members opposite if they thought that I did not know what was happening to prices. The Government and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will honour his election pledges—which was something that never happened when the Opposition were in power.

Mr. Cledwyn Hughes

The Minister says that he knows what is happening about prices. Can he tell the House by what percentage they have gone up since 18th June?

Mr. Prior

To the last available date, according to the food index, food prices have fallen by just under 1 per cent. But, of course, hon. Gentlemen opposite only believe bad news; they never believe good news.

21. Mr. Bob Brown

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the increase in food prices resulting from Her Majesty's Government's recently announced financial measures.

Mr. Prior

The extent of any increase would depend on a number of factors but is likely to be relatively small.

Mr. Brown

Will the Minister confirm that he is on record as wanting higher prices for the consumer? Is he aware that in spite of the cheap publicity-seeking comment of the carpet-bagger from Kidderminster—

Sir G. Nabarro

rose—

Mr. Speaker

Order.

Sir G. Nabarro

On a point of order. Your predecessor ruled in 1956, Sir, when I was the hon. Member for Kidderminster—I am at present the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South—that the term "carpet-bagger" was opprobious and unparliamentary, and had to be withdrawn. Will you now cause the hon. Gentleman to withdraw it?

Mr. Speaker

I hesitate to disagree with my predecessor. The term "carpetbagger" is not a complimentary term, but it is not unparliamentary. Mr. Brown.

Mr. Brown

rose—

Sir G. Nabarro

Further to that point of order. As the Member for Kidderminster is not at present in the House, will you cause this comment to be withdrawn?

Mr. Speaker

If the hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West (Mr. Bob Brown) calls the hon. Member for Worcestershire, South the hon. Member for Kidderminster, that is an error.

Hon. Members

Withdraw.

Mr. Speaker

A lot of Members have a lot of Questions on the Order Paper. Mr. Brown?

Mr. Brown

I can only bow to your advice, Mr. Speaker. In spite of the cheap comments of the ex-carpet-bagger, there will be many people in the northeast of England who will not be able to afford the staple foods required for a family, let alone the "boozer". Is the Minister aware that this might have extremely detrimental effects upon the funds of the Tory Party, bearing in mind the contribution of the brewers?

Mr. Prior

The hon. Gentleman should not abuse Question Time by asking such a ridiculous question and by making such a nonsensical statement.