§ Mr. ANDERSONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Taibach and Port Talbot Co-operative Society, Limited, who are catering for the needs of some 5,000 people in that district, have endeavoured throughout the War to supply their members with food commodities at the lowest possible price, and are at present selling a quartern loaf at 9d.; whether he knows that this society has been informed by Messrs. Weavers, millers, of Swansea, that unless they sell their bread at the same price as the bakers in the district, i.e., at Is. per quartern loaf, they will not be supplied with any more flour; whether this action has been taken at the instance of the Master Bakers' Association of the district; and whether he will cause immediate investigation to be made into all the circumstances of the case?
§ Mr. C. DUNCANasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the Taibach and Port Talbot Co-operative Society have been refused supplies of flour by Messrs. Weavers, millers, Swansea, except on condition that the society sell their bread at is. per quartern loaf, the price charged by other bakers, instead of 9d. per quartern loaf; whether he is aware that the millers declare that they have been forced to withhold supplies by 2409W the Master Bakers' Association in the district; and whether any action can be taken to ensure that an organisation supplying a large number of people with bread shall not be penalised because it sells at a reasonable price?
§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what steps he will take to deal with the action of the Master Bakers' Association of South Wales who have compelled Messrs. Weavers, millers, of Swansea, to withhold supplies of flour from the Taibach and Port Talbot Co-operative Society unless the society sold bread at the same price as the other bakers in the district, who are selling the bread at Is. per quartern loaf, whereas the co-operative society are selling the quartern loaf at 9d.?
Captain BATHURSTThe attention of the Food Controller has been called to this matter, and it is being investigated. He has recently investigated a similar complaint arising in another district in South Wales. In that case the local Master Bakers' Association expressly repudiated any boycott or threat, but admitted that they had endeavoured, with the aid of the local Millers' Association, to induce the firm alleged to be under-selling to come into line. The control by the Government of the larger mills under the recent Flour Mills Order will, it is hoped, put a stop to controversies of this character.