§ 4. Mr. Cooper-Keyasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he is aware that bakers who are mainly concerned with delivering bread by retail cannot cover their costs under the present subsidy system; how many bakers were drawing the subsidy in 1945 compared with the number at the present time; and whether he will devise a more equitable system to enable retail bakers to make a reasonable profit.
Mr. AmoryThe net cost of distributing bread by retail is brought into the calculation of the subsidy rate and there is provision for any baker to make a reasonable delivery charge. The recent increase in the profit margin took into account the problems of retail bakers. The number of bakers now drawing subsidy is about 13,500 compared with 18,254 in 1945.