§ Captain SOTHERON-ESTCOURTasked the Minister of Agriculture what changes there have been in the retail prices of meat in this country, either of homegrown, Empire, or foreign origin, respectively, since the Agricultural Marketing Act, 1931, was placed on the Statute Book?
§ Sir H. BETTERTONI have been asked to reply. The average retail prices of beef, mutton and bacon at 1st August, 1931, and 1st April, 1933, as ascertained for the purpose of the official statistics relating to changes in working-class cost of living, were as shown below. Separate figures are not available in respect of meat imported from Empire sources as distinct from meat of foreign origin.
— 1st August, 1931. 1st April, 1933. Per lb. Per lb. Beef, British: s. d. s. d. Ribs 1 3¾ 1 2 Thin Flank 0 8½ 0 7½ Beef, Imported (Chilled or Frozen): Ribs 0 9½ 0 9 Thin Flank 0 5 0 4¾ Mutton, British Leg 1 5¼ 1 2¾ Breast 0 9 0 7½ Mutton, Imported (Frozen): Leg 0 10¼ 0 9¼ Breast 0 4½ 0 3¼ Bacon, streaky* 0 11 0 10¼ * If this kind is seldom sold in a locality the returns quote the price of another kind locally representative.