§ Mr. SWIFT MacNEILLasked the Prime Minister whether the attention of the Government has been directed to the practice of utilising the state of war by enhancing unnecessarily the price of the people's food for the benefit of private individuals; whether he is aware that freight rates for wheat have been increased, the freight rates for instance from the Argentine, which a year ago was 13s. per ton now being 80s. per ton, and that bread which before the War cost from 5d. to 5½d. per loaf now costs from 7½d. to 8d., an increase of over 40 per cent.; and whether, having regard to the pledge given by Lord Lucas, on behalf of the Board of Agriculture, that everything will be done by the authorities to see that unnecessarily enhanced prices are not charged for corn, and that drastic action will be taken if exorbitant prices were demanded, any and, if so, what steps will be taken to protect the people from being the victims of private rapacity in having the price of bread exorbitantly raised under the false pretence that the rise is a necessary result of the War?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI would refer the hon. and learned Member to the reply which I gave on Tuesday to the right hon. Member for Barnard Castle. I must not be understood to accept the accuracy of all the statements in the question.