§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection what estimate she has made of the ability of food manufacturing and retailing business to absorb half the cost increase of threshold payments; what impact she believes this will have on levels of profitability; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaclennanThe productivity deduction under paragraph 32 of the Price Code is relevant only to manufacturing and service industries—not to retailers. I have received representations from food manufacturing industries to the effect that this aspect of the code is having an unacceptable effect on levels of profitability, 273W and I am considering these representations in the course of the current review of the code.