§ Mr. Spenceasked the Secretary of State for Prices and Consumer Protection by how much the standard home-produced 28-lb. box of frying dripping used in fish and chip shops has increased in price in each quarter of each year since 1971; what effect the increases have had on the price of fish and chips; and if she will make a statement.
§ Mr. MaclennanOfficial figures are not available, but I understand that the typical price of a 28-lb. box of frying dripping remained steady at £1–62 1\2 from January 1971—January 1973. Quarterly price movements since then have been as follows:
April 1973 … … £1.95 July 1973 … … £2.15 October 1973 … … £2.50 January 1974 … … £3.12½ April 1974 … … £3.75 These increases reflect the strong demand for animal fats following poor crops 196W of vegetable oils and oil seeds in some of the principal producing countries. However the use of dripping in fish and chip shops is not uniform over the country and the effect of these increases on the price of fish and chips varies in different areas.