HC Deb 13 August 1940 vol 364 cc620-1W
Sir J. Lamb

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether opportunity will be afforded to organise egg producers to consider any recommendations made to him by the Home Egg Advisory Committee before any orders are made by him dealing with egg distribution?

Mr. Boothby

Egg producers are represented on the Home Produced Eggs Advisory Committee through the National Farmers' Union and the National Poultry Council. The committee, in making recommendations, give full consideration to the views put forward by these representatives.

Mr. Rhys Davies

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that, whereas there is a maximum retail price for the sale of eggs, there is no such maximum imposed on the wholesaler, and that the retailer must very often sell at a loss and throw the deficiency on to the prices of other unregulated goods; and can he do anything to remove this anomaly?

Mr. Boothby

The fact that there is no maximum wholesale price fixed for eggs has made it possible, in conditions of short supply, for the wholesale price to approximate to, or even to equal, the retail price. This situation has been receiving my Noble Friend's urgent consideration in consultation with representatives of all branches of the trade, and an announcement of the steps to be taken will be made very soon.

Colonel Carver

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that owing to the difficulty of obtaining a remunerative price for eggs certain egg producers are going out of the business and concentrating on the production of table poultry which is more profitable owing to the use of waste food; and whether he is watching the egg position carefully to provide against an acute shortage in the coming winter?

Mr. Boothby

I have no knowledge of a change over from egg production to the production of table poultry. The maximum prices of eggs are fixed at a level which is calculated to be remunerative taking into account the costs of production. There will undoubtedly be a shortage of eggs in the coming winter owing to the loss of the greater proportion of our normal supplies from overseas, but such additional imports as are available are being obtained. The answer to the last part of the Question is in the affirmative.