§ Lieut.-Commander Tufnellasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that many tradesmen in the large towns will not handle cheap plums on the ground that the profit is not sufficiently large; and whether he can investigate the possibility of distributing this commodity differently in the public interest?
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§ Mr. BoothbyI have made inquiries but have been unable to find any evidence of a situation such as my hon. and gallant Friend describes. According to my information, the marketing of the plum crop is proceeding satisfactorily in a normal manner, and it does not appear that an investigation of the nature suggested by my hon. and gallant Friend is called for.
§ Sir A. Baillieasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, taking the chief types of plums, he will state the average payment now being received by the producer, and the average price demanded by the retailer; and how the difference is made up?
§ Mr. BoothbyBoth producers' and retail prices of plums have varied from day to day and district to district, according to conditions of supply and demand. There is no machinery for obtaining average producers' or retail prices for the whole country. It is not possible, therefore, to furnish the information asked for in the last part of the Question.
§ Sir A. Baillieasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (1) whether he will initiate an emergency publicity campaign, with a view to disposing of the large surplus of early plums;
(2) whether, in view of the fact that a considerable percentage of the early plum crop is likely to remain unpicked owing to its having ripened earlier than expected and to the absence of adequate arrangements to ensure its utilisation, he can make emergency arrangements to compel distributors to maintain a stock of plums in proportion to their total sales;
(3) whether he can arrange to withhold from the market for a week or two a certain proportion of fruit that can be easily preserved in cold storage in order to encourage the public to utilise the large supply of early plums which will otherwise be wasted?
§ Mr. BoothbyIf my hon. Friend will refer to the reply which I gave to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Evesham (Mr. De la Bère) on 1st August, he will find therein particulars of the arrangements made by the Government for dealing with the prospective surplus of the plum crop. According to, my information, the marketing of the crop is, on the whole, proceeding not unsatisfactorily, and there is no indication that 1155W measures on the lines suggested by my hon. Friend will be necessary.
§ Sir I. Alberyasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what steps he is taking to ensure a satisfactory price for plums; and that there will be no wastage of the crop?
§ Mr. BoothbyIt is not practicable to prescribe a grower's price for plums. In regard to the latter part of my hon. Friend's Question, I would refer him to the reply which I made on 14th August to a Question on this subject by my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for South-East Leeds (Major Milner).
§ Sir R. Gowerasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether arrangements have been made by barracks and other shore establishments, where there are permanent messes in existence, to utilise, directly or indirectly, any part of the surplus plum crop for jam-making or preserving in any form?
Mr. AlexanderAll jams and preserves for the Royal Navy are bought from contractors. The cooking staffs are fully occupied in preparing meals for the very large numbers of men now in depots, and could not be spared for jam making.
§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Secretary of State for Air whether arrangements have been made by barracks and other shore establishments where there are permanent messes in existence to utilise, directly or indirectly, any part of the surplus plum crop for jam-making or preserving in any form?
§ Sir A. SinclairAll jams and preserves used by the Royal Air Force are bought from the N.A.A.F.I. I understand that extensive orders are being placed by the N.A.A.F.I. for preserved home-grown plums. The demand for plum jam made from home-grown fruit is also expected to be considerable.