§ Miss Boothroydasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection when she expects to make price-marking orders.
Mr. Alan WilliamsVery shortly. Following preliminary discussions, draft proposals were circulated shortly after the Prices Act received the Royal Assent on 9th July, for comment by 29th July: comments are now being considered. Initially, unit pricing will apply from mid-September to
- (a) meat: offal and prepacked butchers' meat;
- (b) fish when not prepacked: herring, mackerel and sprats and fillets of cod, haddock, plaice and coley;
- (c)vegetables when not prepacked: potatoes, beans, brussels sprouts, brussels tops, curly kale, peqs, spinach, spring greens, sprouting broccoli and turnip tops.
It is also proposed that the selling price of prepacked potatoes should be required to be shown.
I am pressing ahead with the preparation of orders for other goods.