§ Mr. Cartwrightasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she has yet received the first of the monthly reports requested from the Price Commission on distributors' margins in the potato trade; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsI have received the first of the Commission's reports and have arranged for copies to be placed in the Library. The report, which compares producer, wholesale and retail price levels, finds that they indicate little overall change in distributors' margins since last October in cash terms and a significant fall in percentage terms. This is welcome confirmation that the rise in potato prices is not being inflated by excessive margins in distribution. The shortfall in last 549W year's harvest makes high prices inevitable, but consumer resistance is important in moderating them. I look forward to receiving further reports from the Commission.