§ Mr. GRIFFITHSasked the Food Controller if he is aware that the Divisional Commissioner at Cardiff has fixed the price of milk for the Pontypool district at 2s. 4d. per gallon from 1st May; and that this amounts to 3d. per gallon more than the consumers paid during the winter months; can he state what becomes of the 605W 1s. 0½d. profit which is the margin left between the 1s. 3d. per gallon paid the producer and the 2s. 4d. per gallon paid the retailer; and whether he will make inquiries into this matter and invite representatives of the various food committees in South Wales to discuss it with him?
§ Mr. G. ROBERTSThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. It is not the case that this price amounts to 3d. per gallon more than the consumer paid during the winter months. The maximum retail price during the winter months was 2s, 8d. per gallon in October, 1918, and 3s. per gallon from November, 1918, to April, 1919, inclusive. Although the price of 2s. 4d. per gallon for May gives a margin of 1s. over the producer's maximum price of 1s. 4d., the average margin over the whole summer period will depend on the retail prices to be fixed for the subsequent four summer months. The difference between the two prices is made up of the wholesalers' margin, with railway charges, and the margin for retail distribution. It is not considered necessary to adopt the suggestion made in the last part of the question. The Divisional Food Commissioner will make recommendations to the Ministry of, Food as to the maximum retail prices for the remainder of the summer, after consultation with the Food Control Committees concerned.