§ Mr. R. Morganasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether he is aware of the growing resentment among potato distributors, at the confusion arising out of the endeavours to finance growers by placing a levy on wholesalers, by permitting growers to charge 5s. more per ton, while prohibiting 61W vendors to sell over the unremunerative maximum prices, and by victimising consumers whose supplies are running short owing not so much to difficulties of transport, as to intentional withholding; and whether he will consider scrapping the entire existing scheme and issuing a schedule of prices which will meet with the approval of everybody concerned;
(2) whether he can now make any statement as to the extent to which he has been able to meet the complaints of wholesale potato merchants all over the country that the additional increase of 5s. per ton to the grower with no alteration in the maximum prices of sale renders distribution unremunerative, and is hampering public consumption of the commodity?
Mr. Rostron Duckworthasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether he is aware that, in view of the permission to growers to demand an additional 5s. per ton for Ware potatoes, the margins left to the wholesalers will not cover the cost, irrespective of profit; and whether he proposes to remodel this arrangement?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydI would refer my hon. Friends to my reply to Questions on this subject on 1st February, of which I am sending them copies. The increase in the maximum price was permitted to enable merchants to offer an additional inducement to growers to face the increased cost and the attendant risk of opening their potato clamps. I have no reason to think that where these difficulties did not exist, there has been any general withholding of supplies.
§ Mr. R. Morganasked the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether, in view of the present weather conditions, he still anticipates there will be a surplus of potatoes; and, if not, whether he will reconsider the decision to impose a levy on the distributors in order to compensate growers for any surplus potatoes which it was estimated at one time might be left over at the end of the season?
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydIt is not possible to forecast the effect on the potato supply of the recent severe weather. I would point out that the levy on first resales is being taken into account in the revised schedule of wholesale and retail prices, which will be issued shortly, and that it62W cannot, therefore, be correctly described as a levy imposed on distributors.