§ 44. Mr. F. Willeyasked the Minister of Food whether he will make arrangements to allow old age pensioners to buy their tea rations at the prices obtaining before the recent price increases.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI cannot add to my reply to the hon. Member for Fife, West (Mr. Hamilton) on 31st March.
§ 51. Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Food if he will state for the three weeks prior to the announcement of the lifting of the tea subsidy the amounts of tea purchased under supplementary permits issued by his Department.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeSupplementary permits are issued locally, and the only figures available centrally relate to amounts of tea later purchased under such permits. From 16th to 22nd March returns of these purchases totalled 257,000 lb.; from 23rd to 29th March, 214,000 lb.; and from 30th March to 5th April, 135,000 lb.
§ Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Food if he is aware that under supplementary permits issued by his Department, there were 724,000 lb. of tea purchased from 23rd March to 19th April, 1,615,000 lb. from 20th April to 17th May, and 1,231,000 lb. from 18th May to 14th June; what were the reasons given for these increased purchases; and, in view of the fact that these purchases were considerably above the average, whether he will give an assurance that stocks are not being built up by retailers at the subsidised price for eventual sale at the enhanced unsubsidised price to the consumer when the subsidy is removed next month.
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§ Major Lloyd GeorgeMy Department's returns for purchases of tea under supplementary permits in the periods mentioned are as stated. As the quantities for the corresponding periods last year were nearly 40 per cent. higher, the rest of the Question does not arise.