§ Mr. G. LOCKER-LAMPSONasked the Minister of Food if he is aware of the difficulty of householders in certain parts of North London in getting bread on 16th October last; if there is any ground for suspecting that bakers were holding up supplies until higher prices were in operation; and, if so, why no steps were taken by the Government to prevent this annoyance and hardship to the public?
§ Mr. McCURDYOwing to the fact that the price of bread was to be raised on Monday, 18th October, there was early on the preceding Saturday an abnormal demand for bread which resulted in individual cases of shortage by the evening. There is no ground for believing that bakers were holding up supplies until higher prices were in operation, as all flour purchased by them from 19th September onwards was charged at the higher wholesale price and they were entitled to claim compensation only on flour actually disposed of by them, either as flour or bread, on or before 16th October. The third part of the question, therefore, does not arise.