§ Mr. FLAVINasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the wholesale tea dealers and grocers of Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle-on-Tyne, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Belfast, Dublin, Limerick, Cork, and other large provincial industrial areas have been invited to Grosvenor House to consult and confer with the Food Controller whereby the tea about to be governed or controlled by the Ministry of Food is distributed fairly and equitably to all retailers of tea; and whether any penalties will be imposed upon any grocer, multiple shops managers, dealers, or blenders found guilty of blending the Food Controller's best British 2s. 2d. blend with those of any other brand and obtaining more than the maximum price ordered by the Food Controller?
Captain BATHURSTAs I informed the House on the 2nd April, a Committee representing the various branches of the tea trade has been formed for the purpose of controlling the distribution of the amount agreed by the importers to be available for sale at a low price. I understand that no conference has been held with the grocers' associations, as such. All necessary steps will be taken to prevent any contravention of the arrangements made either in the spirit or in the letter.
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§ Mr. FLAVINasked whether the growers of fine tea in Darjeeling, Silver Kandy, Newera Eliya, and Upper Assam are only to receive the same price for the 40 per cent. of their production of tea as other planters in low-lying districts where only the lowest grades of tea can be grown and costs pence per pound less than that grown at higher altitudes?
Captain BATHURSTThe answer to this question is in the negative. I am informed by the Advisory Committee of the tea trade that importers of tea are not required to hand over to the Control. Committee, for the purpose of distribution as low-priced tea, 40 per cent. of every individual shipment. They may provide the equivalent of this 40 per cent. from any previous shipment or from tea bought in public sale, which, of course, may come from a different garden.
§ Mr. FLAVINasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether retailers of the 2s. 2d. and 2s. 4d. teas-ordered to be sold by the Food Controller as from 1st May next will be compelled to give full weight without the wrapper, paper, string, lead foil, or any other container; what is the price to be paid to the grower or importer for the 40 per cent. of their crops whereby the Food Controller's Orders for the 2s. 2d. and 2s. 4d. canisters can be retailed to the public, and will the methods of the Sugar Commission be adopted for its distribution; if he will state the names and qualifications of the gentlemen comprising the various sections of the tea trade with whom the Food Controller has come to an agreement; if there are any sections of the tea trade who have not been consulted in the matter; whether any representatives of the various Irish grocers' associations have been called to the conference or conferences; and if steps have been or are being taken to ensurc that the poor people of Ireland will be enabled to purchase from their local grocers sufficient tea at 2s. 2d. or 2s. 4d. per lb. to satisfy their requirements?
Captain BATHURSTAs I informed the House on Friday, it will be made illegal to retail tea in packets containing 2 ozs. tea or more except at net weight. This; arrangement, as I then indicated, will necessitate a slight advance in price, and it is proposed, accordingly, that in place of providing two grades of tea at 2s. 2d. and 2s. 4d the whole 40 per cent. should be retailed at 2s. 4d. net weight, representing over all an increase of 1d. per 1303W pound. The prices to be paid to importers and the methods of distribution are being arranged by representative committees of the trade concerned. The Advisory Committee of the tea trade consists of two members of the Ceylon Tea Association; three of the Indian Tea Association, representing importers; four members representing the Tea Buyers' Association and the Wholesale Co-operative Society; and three members representing tea brokers. I am not aware of any sections of the trade which have not been consulted. The conferences on the matter have not included representatives of grocers' associations either in Great Britain or in Ireland.
§ Mr. FLAVINasked what penalties, if any, will be imposed upon growers who refuse to pluck their tea bushes because of the injustice and inequality of treatment to be meted out to them through the flat-rate arrangement whereby the property of tea garden owners in districts such as Sylhet and Cachar is inflated, and that of owners in Jhanzie, Darjeeling, and other districts at a high altitude is depreciated?
Captain BATHURSTAs has just been pointed out in a previous answer to the hon. Member, the arrangements made by the Advisory Committee of the tea trade will not involve the injustice or inequality suggested in the question. It is not proposed to impose any penalties on growers who neglect to harvest their own crops.
§ Mr. LOUGHasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the sale of tea in packets at a fixed price without any guaranteed weight will be prohibited or permitted up to some standard; if so, what is the maximum; and when he will issue the Orders of the Food Controller on all the matters connected with the import, sale, and distribution of tea in a complete form, so as to end the uncertainty which is causing loss in the trade?
Captain BATHURSTI informed the House last Friday that it was intended to prohibit the sale, except by net weight, of any packet of tea professedly containing 2 ozs. and upwards. It is not proposed to interfere with the sale of packets containing less than 2 ozs. of tea. This is the only Order relating to tea about to be issued, and it will be issued shortly.