§ Mr. Jacksonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what has been the cost, per cwt., of the distribution of onions by the National Vegetable Marketing Board; and what quantity have they dealt with?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe average cost of distributing onions from the grower to the retailer is 2s. 7d. per cwt. This figure does not include a sum to cover overhead expenses of the National Vegetable Marketing Company, as a fair apportionment of these expenses between the crops handled by this company cannot be made until it has completed its trading operations for the season. The total weight of onions which had been handled by the company at 1st January, 1942, was 18,197 tons.
§ Mr. Jacksonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food what is the quantity of English-grown onions that has been rendered useless for food by delays in marketing caused by the present method of distribution?
Major Lloyd GeorgeI would refer my hon. Friend to the reply which I gave on 3rd December last to a Question on this subject by my hon. Friend the Member for the Tamworth Division (Sir J. Mellor).
§ Mr. E. Walkdenasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether the National Vegetable Marketing Company has reported on any leakage of stocks of onions from the Spalding District of Lincolnshire; whether he is aware that black-market operators are regularly selling supplies of onions in Leeds at 50s. per cwt., wholesale; and what action has been taken to secure the conviction of such law-breakers?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe reply to the first part of my hon. Friend's Question is in the negative. One case has been reported of sales of onions in the Leeds market above the prescribed Maximum Wholesale Price and this is being investigated.