§ Mr. Wiggasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the amount of subsidy paid each year in respect of each item subsidised; and the amount each item would rise in price if its subsidy was abolished.
§ Mr. JayThe following table shows the commodities at present being subsidised, the estimated current annual rate of subsidy and the increase in price which would result from the abolition of the subsidy:
Commodity. Estimated Current Annual Rate of Subsidy. Rise in Price if Subsidy were removed. £.m. Pence. FOOD Bacon 15.4 9¾ per lb. Bread 63.7 5¾" 3½ lb. loaf Flour other than for bread 37.1 13 "7 lbs. Shell Eggs 20 15 "doz. Carcase Meat 60.2 4¼" lb. Milk 37.5 1¾ "quart. Butter 36.8 15½ "lb. Cheese 18.8 12¾ "lb. Margarine (Domestic) 15.2 4½ "lb. Cooking Fat (do.) 2.7 3¾ "lb. Lard 0.3 11½ "lb. Potatoes 18.6 2½ "7 lbs. Sugar 19.7 2¼ "lb. Tea 17.1 10½ "lb. Other Foods (4.4) Animal Feeding Stuffs 66.5 £15 18s. 3d. per ton. Board of Trade Subsidies on Fertilisers and Molasses. 8.3 25–30 per cent. Welfare Schemes:— National Milk Scheme 22.0 Milk in Schools 8.5 Other Welfare Foods 7.4 471.4 RAW MATERIALS. £ Iron and Steel 28,000,000 About £2 a ton on billets. Home produced Flax 96,000 £1 10s. 0d. to £2 per ton. Concentrated Pig Food (from kitchen waste) 462,000 £2 per ton.