§ Wing-Commander Grant-Ferrisasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that while good quality medium-sized cauliflowers have recently been sold in London for 1s. to 1s. 6d., the return to the producer has only been 1¼d.; and how the difference is accounted for?
§ Mr. MabaneAs I pointed out in reply to the hon. Member's recent Question regarding the price of lettuces and cabbages, one difficulty about comparing growers' returns and retail prices is that prices fluctuate considerably over short periods of time and vary widely in accordance with the wide range of quality and condition. It is true that cauliflowers have been sold by retail for as much as 1s. 6d. and even a little more; but this appears to be much above the average range of retail prices. The price of 1¼d. quoted by my hon. Friend bears no relationship to the average range of prices at which cauliflowers, including those sold on commission on behalf of growers, have been sold at the wholesale markets. The Maximum Price Order which my Noble Friend is about to make will include maximum prices for cauliflowers; but on the information available to the Ministry it does not appear that there has been any serious disparity during recent weeks between the prices in the wholesale markets and the prices at which cauliflowers have been sold by retail.