§ 34. Sir G. Foxasked the Minister of Food why the greengrocery trade are still able to buy dried fruit, sultanas and prunes from Covent Garden Market which, prewar, was the prerogative of the grocery trade; why they are not restricted in quantity, provided they have the necessary points, whereas the grocery trade are restricted in their allocation to an amount reckoned on their registered sugar customers and are not allowed unrestricted purchase even if they have the points; and why such a system has been introduced which favours co-operative societies and departmental stores whose greengrocery department can switch such goods in short supply to the grocery department merely on exchange of points.
§ Mr. StracheyThe sale of dried fruit has never been exclusively a grocery line. Under the present system of distribution, introduced in 1943, the greengrocery trade receive allocations based on the tonnage they handled before the war, and grocers according to their sugar registrations. Co-operative and departmental stores receive no advantage, since it was open to any shop with a grocery and greengrocery department to claim supplies for both sides of its business.