HC Deb 19 July 1973 vol 860 cc705-6
Q4. Mr. Judd

asked the Prime Minister whether he will make an official visit to Portmouth.

The Prime Minister

I have at present no plans to do so, Sir.

Mr. Judd

Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that many people in Portsmouth, although affected by the particularly high cost of living in the South-East, suffer from below-average wages? Next time the right hon. Gentleman is relaxing on his yacht in the Solent, will he reflect that in flats overlooking his relaxation there are pensioners who have not been able to afford meat and decent meals for months? Will he reflect that there are housewives in the neighbouring community who are driven to distraction by rising prices, and families which cannot afford a holiday, let alone a yacht? Will he appreciate that his speech yesterday did nothing but rub salt into the wounds by revealing his relentless commitment to the interests of the wealthy minority in our society and his indifference to the majority of people in Britain?

The Prime Minister

There is absolutely no truth in the hon. Gentleman's allegations. I pass through Portsmouth on many occasions and, if the hon. Member wants to introduce me to pensioners who say they have no means of ever buying meat, I will gladly meet them, because the present Government have done more for pensioners than has been done by any previous Government.

Mr. Ralph Howell

Is my right hon. Friend aware that of our overall extra spending in 1972, amounting to £4,333 million, only 101 per cent., or £454 million, was extra spending on food whereas £481 million, or 11 per cent., was extra spending on alcohol, gambling and tobacco? Does not this disprove the point just made by the Opposition?

The Prime Minister

It certainly proves that the expenditure could have been put into food if those concerned wished. We also believe in choice for the individual.

Mr. Raphael Tuck

Is the Prime Minister aware that food prices rose by no less than 11.9 per cent. during the so-called freeze? Does the right hon. Gen- tleman know what a freeze is? He ought to buy himself a brass monkey; then he would know. When shall we have a policy? When are we to have some sensible action so that food prices can be kept within sensible limits so that the poor and the old-age pensioners can buy the food?

The Prime Minister

Manufactured food prices have been strictly controlled, and, as I told the House yesterday, over the past six months prices have fallen slightly. The hon. Gentleman is so ignorant that he does not realise that not even his own party is prepared to control the prices of fresh foods. He should study the problem.