§ 2.30 p.m.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy 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 view of the general interest in food prices, they can arrange for a weekly copy of the Grocer magazine to be placed in the Library of the House.
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD ABERDARE)My Lords, the provision of magazines in the Library of your Lordships' House is not a matter for Her Majesty's Government. Perhaps the noble Lord would care to write to the Chairman of the Library Sub-Committee about his suggestion.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord for that helpful reply and to ask him whether he is aware that many millions of housewives believe that food and grocery prices are rising very rapidly indeed? Now that the Price Commission do not announce price increases they have no way of correcting this impression.
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I would only say that the price index which is compiled for the Grocer magazine is more an indication of rises in wholesale prices, because this is of course a trade magazine. The official figures which Governments have always accepted are those compiled for the food index by the Department of Employment.
§ LORD LEATHERLANDMy Lords, does the noble Lord not think that when the wholesale prices go up retail prices also go up, and would not the availability of the Grocer magazine be very helpful to noble Lords—particularly as the last issue showed that last week there were 518 price increases in grocery shops and that during the whole of last year there were over 12,000 price increases?
§ LORD ABERDARENo, my Lords, I do not agree with the noble Lord that because wholesale prices go up retail prices necessarily go up by the same amount. The December index figures show that raw material costs for food manufacturers went up by 42 per cent. between November, 1972, and December, 1973, but that over the same period, wholesale manufactured food prices rose by only 20 per cent.
§ LORD HARVEY OF PRESTBURYMy Lords, would my noble friend at the same time arrange for a publication giving comparable food prices on the Continent to be placed in the Library?
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I am very grateful to my noble friend. I do not really want to make any arrangements with the Library Sub-Committee—I will leave that to the noble Lord, Lord Leatherland.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, does my noble friend know that, in my old age, I have to do the household shopping and that I found a retail price this morning that had actually gone down?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, will the noble Lord therefore help his noble friend by saying which it was?
§ BARONESS BROOKE OF YSTRADFELLTEMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that if one has the energy and enthusiasm to shop around one can find a considerable number of fair prices?
§ LORD ABERDAREMy Lords, I am sure that my noble friend is correct and I am sure that she has the energy.
§ LORD WYNNE-JONESMy Lords, since Private Eye often finds its way into the Library, could not the Grocer be there as well?