§ 3.4 p.m.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the interest of producers, retailers and customers alike, they would be prepared to provide information showing the difference between prices obtained by farmers and prices charged in the shops for various commodities when such information would seem to be useful.]
THE JOINT PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD (LORD ST. OSWALD)My Lords, I appreciate the noble Lady's keen interest in these matters, but must ask her again to remember that for most commodities comparative information of this kind is not easy to obtain. I explained this in some detail in the replies I gave on November 22, December 11, and on January 24 and 30. Less than one-third of the food bought by the public is de-scribably the same on the counter as it was at the farm gate—in composition, size, weight, appearance, colour, consistency, taste, smell or in other characteristics, including, of course, the effect and degree of manufacture upon the article. The noble Lady is concerned with making comparisons, and one has to be sure, as I know she would wish so to be sure, that the comparisons are of like to like, to give them any real meaning.
The difficulties in the way cannot easily be overcome, and at the present time information in the desired form is limited to only a few commodities—milk, eggs, 696 potatoes, and some fresh fruit and vegetables. My right honourable friend is ready to publish the farm or first-hand selling prices, and the retail prices of the first three of these in comparative form for any month or year for which they may be useful. But I have no evidence which would confirm that publication of this material as a regular and continuing service would be of particular use to farmers, retailers or customers. But I hope that in what I have said I have given satisfaction to the noble Lady.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, is the Minister aware that, in view of all the difficulties which he cited at the beginning, I am most impressed and encouraged by the final part of his statement? Is he further aware that I should like to test that and see what further use could be made of it? Does he realise that what I am really anxious to know is whether he can find a way in which the prices paid to the farmer for any particular commodity—one he has mentioned, if he likes—and the prices paid by the shopper in the shops can be listed so that, in between, the wide angle of distribution can be seen in its true nature?
LORD ST. OSWALDMy Lords, in line with my undertaking I will certainly seek to produce dependable figures which will have that effect. The noble Lady asked for potato figures in particular. If she would like to put down a Question, perhaps for Written Answer, I will repeat the process we went through last week and to-day.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, with his help, we shall be able to go through all the commodities listed, which should be of great help to the consuming public?
§ LORD WALSTONWould the noble Lord consider it possible to encourage retailers of the particular commodities he has mentioned (eggs, milk, potatoes and certain fresh vegetables, I believe) to exhibit in their shops the percentage increase or decrease in farm prices of these commodities during the current or preceding month from prices supplied by his own Department?
LORD ST. OSWALDI am not quite sure what encouragement the noble Lord has in mind, and I am not sure that it 697 comes within the context of the Question, but naturally I will look seriously at it, as I do any suggestion made by the noble Lord.
EARL ALEXANDER OF HILLS-BOROUGHMy Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether there is rather a variety of practice in publishing prices in some cases? If we take meat, for example, we still get a weekly publication of average prices of cattle on the hoof, but they are only average prices. They go to different consumers' areas. I think that if the Minister could think of some way in which it was made clear to a fairly wide area, say a county area, what they ought to be paid for their meat it would be useful.