§ Mr. J. Morganasked the Minister of Food whether he will produce figures setting out the basis for the present per pound retail prices of bacon and butter; what is the present average margin between c.i.f. prices and the retail maximum prices, respectively; and whether this represents an increase on the average pre-war margin then required by the trade?
§ Mr. W. S. MorrisonThe basis for the retail price of bacon is the Ministry's selling price to its agents. The price is now 113s. 6d. per cwt., but until 5th February it was 125s. Margins have been added to these prices to arrive at those to be charged by wholesalers and retailers.
The basis for the retail price of butter is the Ministry's selling price of 143s. per cwt., a maximum wholesale price of 150s. per cwt. and a maximum retail price of 1s. 7d. per lb., thus giving a maximum margin of 34s. 4d. per cwt. In each case the margins are provisional and are subject to costings investigation. I have at present no reason to suppose that there has been any disproportionate increase over pre-war levels.