§ Mr. ARTHUR RICHARDSONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether any arrangements have now been made to rectify the existing Regulations under which secondary wholesalers have been distributing certain articles of foodstuffs among retailers either without profit or at a loss?
§ Mr. PARKERAs the result of representations from my hon. Friend and from various associations of wholesalers, the position of distributive wholesalers generally has recently been under careful consideration by the Ministry of Food. It has now been arranged that in a number of cases where no statutory provision was formerly made for a wholesaler who was left to arrange with the manufacturer or importer for an agreed discount a statutory discount should in future be provided. While it will not be possible to treat all foods in exactly the same way, and while the amendment of the various Orders affected may necessarily take some little time, I hope that the new arrangements will, in effect, meet all legitimate causes of grievance.