§ 82. Mr. Errollasked the Minister of Food whether he will give an assurance that he is in a position to take effective remedial action if following the auction of the nuts held by his Ministry prices to consumers reach an exorbitant level; and what reply he has sent to the Chairman of the Edible Nuts Executive Panel which had undertaken to ensure distribution at 2s. 6d. a pound.
§ Mr. StracheyNo. The Edible Nuts Executive Panel could not control retail prices and I have had no offer from them to do so. This Panel pressed for the decontrol of the price of nuts. Their present dissatisfaction appears to be based286W upon the fact that we refused to reserve the trade to the members of this Panel, but have opened it freely to all comers.