§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will give the dates upon which he agreed to price increases in food and other items coming within the control of his Department since the introduction of the November 1972 freeze, and the amounts of such increases in each case.
§ Mrs. FennerThe dates on which my right hon. Friend agreed to the price
Commodity Date Increase Meat products … 22.2.73 Various increases of up to 5p per lb. Animal feed … 22.2.73 Compounds—between £0.88 to £2.40 per ton. Concentrates—between £4.60 to £10 per ton. Biscuits … 23.2.73 Recovery of 50 per cent, of increased raw material costs incurred since 6th November. My right hon. Friend will be replying to the letter which the hon. Member has sent him about the other consents given to individual manufacturers.
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of companies and firms which were running at very reduced profits or losses prior to his agreement to increase the price of their food products; and for how long these firms were in this situation before the price increases were made.
§ Mrs. FennerIn considering the case for a price increase for a particular commodity my right hon. Friend does not look at the accounts of all the companies involved. In the meat products industry, the companies whose costs and profits he examined were all suffering a serious reduction in profits or a loss. In most cases this situation had gradually developed since the beginning of the prices standstill.