HC Deb 01 April 1974 vol 871 cc855-7
7. Mr. Dykes

asked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what conclusions she has drawn from the Price Commission's examination of retailers' percentage margins.

Mrs. Shirley Williams

I welcome the Price Commission's action on food retailers' margins. I have made my own proposals in the consultative document on the price code, published on 25th March.

Mr. Dykes

Does the right hon. Lady agree that it will now be much more difficult for retailers operating efficiently to maintain their own price disciplines as a result of the huge and swingeing increases in costs of all sorts of essential materials which will arise from the Chancellor's Budget decisions last week?

Mrs. Williams

I am not sure what huge and swingeing costs the hon. Gentleman is referring to. [HON. MEMBERS: "Crisps."] If he is referring to nationalised industry prices, I remind him that his right hon. Friend the Member for Carshalton (Mr. Carr) made quite clear that the previous Chancellor had in mind a reduction in the subsidy to nationalised industries as long ago as last December. If lie is referring to crisps, I can only say that, in a situation of national emergency, one would have expected him to think of something a little more serious.

Mr. Tebbit

Ought not the right hon. Lady to ensure that her Department is as efficient as the Price Commission? I put down 17 Questions about prices to her last week. The day after I put them down, her Department had eight transferred to other Ministers, and the day after that it wrote to me to say that they had been transferred back to the right hon. Lady's Department. Who is responsible for prices in this Government?

Mrs. Williams

The answer is clear. Nationalised industry-sponsoring Ministers are responsible for the prices which they themselves are in a position to determine. I am responsible for prices which are not determined by an individual Department and which come under the control of the Price Commission. The hon. Gentleman, therefore, asked a number of his Questions of the wrong Ministry.

Mr. Skinner

Does my right hon. Friend recall that, not many months ago, the Tory Government actually stopped the Price Commission publishing price increases?

Mrs. Williams

I remember very well, and I hope that my hon. Friend will continue to keep his memory as good as that.

Mr. Channon

How does the Secretary of State square her answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Chingford (Mr. Tebbit) with the fact that the Prime Minister has clearly said that she is responsible and her Department is the focal point of measures to deal with prices generally? Is it not fair she should take responsibility for price increases and not try to shuffle it off to her right hon. Friends? Is not the proof of the pudding in the fact that all my hon. Friend's Questions have in fact been transferred back to her for answer?

Mrs. Williams

The hon. Gentleman knows better than that. It is a principle of constitutional doctrine that responsibility for Questions rests with the Minister responsible for the decisions. Therefore, when decisions rest with another Department, as they do, for example, in respect of a nationalised industry such as steel, it would be most inappropriate for me to answer Questions on them. I am very happy to answer Questions, and will continue to answer, on matters within my field of responsibility.

Mr. Tebbit

On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I ask for your advice—

Mr. Speaker

Order. I do not approve of points of order during Question Time. If the hon. Gentleman has a point of order, perhaps he will be good enough to raise it at the end of Questions.