§ Mr. Derek Pageasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the report of the National Board for Prices and Incomes on the distribution costs of fresh fruit and vegetables.
§ Mr. PeartI discussed this report, made to my right hon. Friend the First Secretary and myself, with representatives of the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades Limited and of the Retail Fruit Trade Federation Limited on the day of publication, 26th April. The National Federation, at my request, considered the report at a special emergency Executive Committee meeting last weekend. I welcome their decision at this meeting to withdraw the recommendation made to their members last September to impose a surcharge on wholesale sales of fresh fruit and vegetables. I would hope that as recommended in the report 49W similar action will be taken by local organisations of traders and individual wholesalers. The Retail Fruit Federation is continuing to urge its members to follow reasonable pricing policies, and to exercise special restraint in the period up to 30th June, 1968.