§ 42. Mr. Sparksasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase food subsidies to the level of 1951 in order to offset to some extent the rise in food prices.
§ Mr. H. Brooke:No.
§ Mr. Hamiltonasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer the annual rates of production grants and subsidies and consumer food subsidies, respectively, in each of the past eight years.
§ Mr. H. Brooke:The food subsidies administered by the Ministry of Food and the production grants and subsidies administered by the Agricultural Departments and the Board of Trade since 76W 1947–48, inclusive, are shown in the following table:
Year Food Subsidies administered by Ministry of Food Production grants and Subsidies administered by Agricultural Departments and Board of Trade £M £M 1947–48 365. 1 36. 9 1948–49 453. 4 53. 2 1949–50 394. 4 57. 4 1950–51 373. 8 49. 0 1951–52 396. 2 32. 5 1952–53 300. 4 44. 7 1953–54 294. 4 55. 8 1954–55 286. 4 (Estd.) 52. 6 (Estd.) The Fertiliser Subsidy was transferred in 1951 from the Vote of the Board of Trade to the Votes of the Agricultural Departments. It is not possible to distinguish between the producer and consumer elements in the food subsidies over the period in question.