§ Mr. LUNDONasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food how he expects to get a fair opinion as to the prices to be fixed for Irish butter and bacon from English merchants competing with the Irish producers; if he is aware that there is a general condemnation of the method adopted as regards the fixing of these prices; and, in order to allay the feeling which exists, will he see that in the future representatives of the two Irish interests are called in for consultation and advice, and that these representatives will not be Irish merchants who are large Government contractors, but those who represent the direct producers of these two commodities?
Captain BATHURSTThe prices were fixed, at the Food Controller's request, by the Home and Foreign Produce Exchange, after a conference at which the Provincial Exchanges and Associations of Producers were represented. The delegates included at least fourteen direct representatives of Irish producers. I am not aware that there is any general condemnation of the method adopted for fixing these prices.