§ Mr. De Chairasked the Minister of Agriculture how much it would cost to supplement current prices received by growers for each of the following agricultural commodities, separately, by sufficient margins to guarantee the following prices: beef 50s. per cwt., mutton 1s. per lb., pigs 14s. 6d. per score, butter 1s. 6d. per lb., eggs 2s. 6d. per dozen, non-malting barley 37s. per quarter, and wheat 50s. per quarter; and if he will state the current prices on which his calculations are based?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonThe sum required to make up, in respect of the output in England and Wales of each of the commodities to which my hon. Friend refers, the difference between the prices he has suggested and current prices, excluding any subsidies already in force, may on certain broad assumptions be approximately estimated at the figures stated in the table below which includes the prices used.
Commodity. Sum required to bring up to designated price. Current Price. (d) £ million. Beef … 3.2 (a) 44s. 2d. per live cwt. Mutton … 1.6 (b) 10½d. per lb. dead weight. Pigs … 0.7 14s. 2d. per score dead weight. Butter … 0.6 1s. 4½d. per lb. Eggs … 14.8 (c) 1s. 2½d. per dozen. Barley … — 49s. 8d. per quarter of 448 lb. (e) Wheat … 4.5 35s. 7d. per quarter of 504 lb. (a) Based on total estimated live weight of home-produced beef in 1936–37 excluding cattle not certifiable for subsidy payments. (b) Based on total dressed carcase weight of home-produced mutton and lamb in 1936–37 excluding ewe mutton. (c) Based on total estimated production of hen eggs on agricultural holdings in 1937 excluding eggs used for hatching. (d) Prices used are those ruling during week ended 2nd March, 1938. (e) Gazette average price for week ended 5th March, 1938, for home-grown barley of all kinds.