§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what part of the £500 million allocated for food subsidies will he spent on milk, bread and butter respectively expressed both as a percentage and as an actual monetary figure in each case.
§ Mr. MaclennanTaking account of the provision already made in Estimates the total so far allocated for food subsidies in 1974–75 is £550 million. The estimated expenditure on the subsidies on milk, bread and butter and the proportions of the total allocation in each case are as follows:
Estimated Expenditure in 1974–75 (£million) Proportion of total allocation (percentage) Milk 275 50.0 Bread 17 3.1 Butter 43 7.8
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection by what date she anticipates the £500 million allocated for food subsidies will be fully spent.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe total amount allocated for food subsidies has been 141W determined having regard to our present estimates of expenditure on food subsidies during 1974–75.
§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection whether she is yet in a position to quantify, both in monetary and percentage terms, that proportion of the £500 million allocated to food subsidies which will acrue to food bought by persons earning above average incomes, hotels and restaurants, respectively.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe proportion of the total payments that will accrue to different groups will depend on the range of foods selected for subsidy action. However, it is the intention of my right hon. Friend to assist the lower-income households by concentrating on basic items that are of special importance in their regular expenditure on food.