§ Mr. Oliverasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many complaints he has received from local tradesmen's associations respecting the prices charged by wholesalers for the commodities they supply particularly in respect of articles of food; and whether it is his intention to fix wholesale prices in the same way as retail prices are fixed thus ensuring a reasonable return to the small trader?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonI have received a number of representations on the subject referred to in the first part of the question, but in view of the volume of correspondence in my Department it would not be possible to extract a total without an undue expenditure of labour. As regards the second part of the question, control of retail prices has in every case in which it has been imposed been accompanied by control of wholesale prices.