HC Deb 09 July 1942 vol 381 cc958-9W
Mr. De la Bère

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether he will consider making an allowance or amendment in connection with the return from small bakers and his intention to withdraw the subsidy; and whether he will give an assurance that after making reasonable allowance for amendment the percentage of profits of the small bakers will not be less than they were prior to the outbreak of hostilities?

Mr. Mabane

It is not clear from the wording of the first part of my hon. Friend's Question what amendment or allowance he has in mind. I can assure him, however, that the profits to small bakers on bread-baking, as disclosed by the recent investigation into costs made by my Department, are not less than they were under the Food Council scale before the war, and there is contributory evidence that overall profits from all sources, including cakes and flour confectionery, have considerably increased.

Mr. De la Bère

asked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the changes in connection with the type of bread made and the method of delivery between December, when the figures were taken, and May, when the Ministry issued their report, he will give consideration to the low average profits made in some areas and the withdrawal of permission to charge 8½d. in certain cases where returns were based on this price, as these new methods have materially reduced the number of one-pound loaves made which in the case of the smaller bakers contributed three-tenths of the profits; and will he alter his policy accordingly?

Mr. Mabane

My Noble Friend cannot agree that his policy will lead to unduly low profits on bread-baking in any part of the United Kingdom. He has not, however, withdrawn permission to charge 8½d. per quartern, where this has been granted in respect of bread delivered in sparsely populated areas, but has, on the contrary, expressed willingness to consider applications for the extension of this concession to other areas where it can be shown that costs of delivery are unduly high.