Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Food (1) whether, in connection with the recent sanction of a rise in standard strawberry jam prices, which have been raised from 1s. 1d. to 1s. 3d. based on the increase of 10 per cent. in fruit content, in view of the fact that this fruit content contains only 3d. worth of fruit, he will consider allocating part of this increase for the benefit of the strawberry growers, since the strawberries were preempted for jam and are controlled at the same price as last year;
605W(2) whether, in connection with the recent sanction of an increase in gooseberry jam prices from 11d. to 1s. 0½d. per 1b., in view of the fact that there is only 1½d. worth of fruit per 1b. and the price is increased by 2½d., he will further increase the price per 1b. which the grower will receive;
(3) whether, in view of the fact that the price of raspberry jam has been increased by 2½d. and the fruit content per pound is not being raised, he will give some increase by way of price to the raspberry fruit growers;
(4) whether, in view of their proposal that no blackcurrants should be used for jam as they are needed for puree for their vitamin value to young children, any increase in price will be applicable to last year's pulp when available.
(5) whether he will make a statement giving the basis on which the jam prices have been raised to show why no corresponding increase has been allowed to the growers of strawberries, gooseberries and raspberries.
§ Colonel LlewellinThe new schedule of jam prices has been fixed to take into account changes in fruit prices, the increased minimum fruit content of certain varieties, and the current cost of manufacture. The Jam and Marmalade Maximum Price Order that was in force up to 22nd July, 1944, was made in December, 1942, and was based on 1942 fruit prices. The following table shows the changes since then in the growers' prices of fruit of the varieties mentioned by my hon. Friend. The prices quoted are those ruling for the bulk of the fruit bought for jam making:
1942 1944 Gooseberries, per cwt. … 25/8 42/0 Strawberries, per cwt. … 70/0 81/8 Raspberries, per cwt. … 60/8 81/8 Blackcurrants, per cwt. … 72/4 121/4 The cost of fruit to the jam maker includes a number of items additional to the growers' price including the cost of collection and transport, the provision of containers, and losses of weight both in transit and in the preliminary preparation of the fruit such as the removal of stalks. For the purposes of the Price Order the various kinds of jam are ranged in a limited number of price groups. A price 606W for each group is fixed appropriate to the average cost of manufacture of the group and manufacturers' margins on individual varieties of jam vary. For these reasons I cannot concur in my hon. Friend's calculations regarding the relationship between the prices of fruit and the price of jam; and I cannot agree to reconsider the growers' prices for 1944.
In the case of blackcurrants, while there may be little pre-empted fruit available for jam making, a new price was prescribed to permit jam to be made from any blackcurrants purchased by manufacturers independently. The new price would apply to pulp made from last season's blackcurrants, but any remaining stocks are believed to be of negligible quantities. In the case of raspberry jam the price increase is not, as stated, 2½d. but ½d. per 1b.