§ Colonel Carverasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he is aware that the selling price of oats in certain districts is fixed at £18 12s. 6d. per ton and that the local trading society is, none the less, buying the same oats from farmers in the district at from £10 to £11 per ton; whether the farmers are only allowed to sell to a licensed dealer; and why, under the circumstances, such an unreasonable margin of profit is permitted.
Major Lloyd GeorgeIf the first price referred to in the Question is for oats for feeding purposes sold in substantial quantity in the same condition as when bought from the grower, the price appears to be high, and if my hon. and gallant Friend will let me have the particulars I will have inquiry made to ascertain whether the provisions of the Maximum Prices 1367W Order are being observed. The answer to the second part of the Question is that in order to maintain control over the trade in home-grown oats, it has been necessary to prescribe by Order that a grower shall, except by licence, sell his oats only to an approved buyer; my Department is prepared in cases to grant individual licences for consumers of oats to buy direct from growers.