§ Captain BOWYERasked the Minister of Food why he has not consulted the local food control committees when considering the advisability of the continuance of food control; does he fail to appreciate the services freely rendered by food control committees during the past 2½ years and how closely they are in touch with both trader and consumer; and will he in future see that these food control committees throughout the country are consulted upon this matter?
§ Mr. McCURDYIn considering the question of the continuance of food control, the Food Controller has been in close touch with the Divisional Food Commissioners who form the link between the Ministry of Food and the Food Control Committees. I am confident that the Food Commissioners are well aware of the views of the Food Committees in their respective divisions on the matter in question, and in many cases I have received evidence showing that Committees have been specifically consulted.
§ Mr. CHARLES EDWARDSasked the Minister of Food the articles of food which have been decontrolled and the immediate effect on prices of such decontrol; and the amount of increase or reduction which took place?
§ Mr. McCURDYThe principal articles of food which have been decontrolled are fresh milk, home produced butter and cheese, veal, margarine and its constituent materials, condensed milk, barley, oats and oatmeal, beans, peas and lentils, potatoes, tea and coffee. The most marked cases of changes of price following immediately upon decontrol are the following:—
Cotton seed rose from £19 to £35 per ton, and palm kernels from £26 to £43 per ton within a month, with a corresponding rise in the other raw materials for the production of edible oils, while margarine itself, after a short period of 663W price cutting, rose from 1s. to 1s. l½d. per lb. on the average. Within a month or two of decontrol barley rose from 67s. to 95s. 2d. per quarter, and oats from 52s. to 62s. 4d. per quarter. Veal, for which the controlled price was l0½d. per lb., was sold at anything up to 3s. per lb. Condensed milk has risen from 1s. 3d. to 1s. 6d., and home produced butter from 2s. 8d. to anything between 3s. 6d. and 5s. per lb.
Milk, on the other hand, showed a fall of 1d. per quart following on decontrol, and there was a decrease of approximately 1d. per lb. in the group of peas, beans, and lentils.
As regards other foodstuffs there were no marked changes in price following immediately on decontrol. The hon. Member must bear in mind that in order to arrive at a judgment as to the general effects of control or decontrol, the study of prices over a comparatively long period would be necessary.