§ Mr. G. THORNEasked the Food Controller whether the bacon distributed by the Government is released by them to agents officially accepted by the Government; whether these agents are bound to sell to their customers at Government prices; whether the Government control of the wholesale prices of bacon ceases with the Government agents, or whether they will keep it in force at Government prices to wholesale dealers; whether the Food Controller has taken steps to discover what firms are making excessive charges for bacon, and so making retailers pay 30s. to 40s. per cwt. more than the wholesale prices fixed by Government agents; and whether the Food Controller is aware that these excessive charges compel retailers to sell bacon at a loss seeing that the maximum retail price is fixed by the Government?
§ Mr. McCURDYBacon owned by the Government is released by the Department to officially accepted agents. These agents are bound to sell to their customers at prices fixed by the Department, except that certain agents are authorised to take into their own stock a small per-2422W centage of the bacon released to them. The Department does not control the wholesale price of bacon after it has passed out of the agents' hands, and as the stocks of Government bacon are practically exhausted it is not possible to institute any such form of control. Investigations into the dealings of certain farms of wholesale dealers are now proceeding. I am aware of the fact that in certain cases excessive charges have been made by these dealers, with the result that retailers' margins of profit have been reduced below the figure to which they we entitled, and the question of what action should be taken to prevent this is under consideration.