asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the cost of food has now risen since 18th June, 1970.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage increase in food prices since June, 1970.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by what percentage food prices have risen since June, 1970.

The latest available information was given in my reply to the hon. Member for Rugby (Mr. William Price) and my hon. Friend the Member for Worcestershire, South (Sir G. Nabarro) on 20th June—[Vol. 839, c. 213–14.]

Does the right hon. Gentleman recall that his answer was deplorable and represented a vicious undermining of the living standards of millions of people? Why has he caused or allowed to be removed from the General Index of Retail Prices imported beef and mutton, both of which have increased in price dramatically and scandalously in recent weeks?

:In reply to the last part of the supplementary question, there has been absolutely no change in the composition of the Index of Retail Prices.

Yes, there has.

:I have no idea what the hon. Gentleman is trying to get at. In reply to the first part of his supplementary question, it is obvious that he was expecting a different answer from me and was at a loss what to say.

In view of that disastrous figure, which he does not wish to repeat, how can the Minister justify the Government's attack upon the greedy trade unionists for trying to obtain £20 a week to pay the household bills? Will he deny that food prices are likely to rise by at least another 17 per cent. over the next two years and, while doing so, in view of some of his recent statements, will he reveal one of the biggest mysteries of all time, when he does his own shopping?

It would be a great help to the House if the hon. Gentleman would take part in debates in the House instead of coming in just at Question Time and making extravagant remarks which bear no relationship whatever to the facts. If the hon. Gentleman wants a fact, I will give him one—

:The right hon. Gentleman has never given me one yet.

In the last six months the Retail Food Price Index has gone up by 3·9 per cent. compared with 6·8 per cent. in the last six months' lifetime of the Labour Government.

:Is my right hon. Friend aware that, whilst one is disturbed by the rise in the price of food, the rise in the price of cooking it is even greater because of the increase in coal prices which, if the Government are unable to subsidise electricity, will mean that the price of electricity will go up by 16 per cent.?

My hon. Friend is right always to worry about the rise in food prices or any other prices. We on this side of the House are doing everything we can to contain inflation and to keep prices steady, but we also have to bear in mind the rise in the standard of living, which I am pleased to say is rising at about double the rate at which it rose during the previous Administration.

:Is it the time of the year when we start to talk about peaches again? On the question asked by my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Carter) about deletions from the retail prices index, is the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have a copy from the Department which states that imported beef, sirloin without bone, back ribs with bone, brisket with bone and fore-ribs with bone have all been excluded from the index? Will he say whether that is a gigantic fiddle?

The hon. Gentleman should know—and his right hon. Friend the Member for Workington (Mr. Peart) will be able to tell him if he does not know—that under the foot and mouth regulations made some time ago all meat imported from places such as the Argentine now has to be boneless. It does not require anyone with much brain, except perhaps the hon. Gentleman, to realise that it is no longer necessary to include it in the food prices index.

:Since hon. Members opposite are so keen to blame the Government for rising world food prices, will the Labour Party now congratulate my hon. Friend on the fact that here and there world food prices are coming down?

I am grateful for what my hon. Friend says, but I have noticed that the Opposition are interested only in prices that go up.

:The right hon. Gentleman should not be arrogant in his replies to hon. Members. He knows full well that under the Conservative Administration prices have rocketed, and this means that the lower income group is suffering hardship—[Interruption.] This is no laughing matter. Many old-age pensioners and people on small pensions face considerable hardship because of high food prices, which will rise even more when we enter the Community.

:I am not the least bit arrogant about the rise in food prices, and the right hon. Gentleman knows it. I fully appreciate the fact that old-age pensioners and those who live on fixed incomes have to bear the brunt of increased food prices, but the Government have taken action to bring them down. The rate at which they are now rising is far slower than that in the last year of the Labour Government.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further steps he proposes to take to reduce the rise in food prices.

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 20th June to the hon. Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler)—[Vol. 839, c. 210–11.]

Will the Minister start living with the times, because he will see that my Question asked about the further steps he proposes to take, not about the steps he purported to take a month ago? Since it is obvious that the Government could lose the General Election on the issue of food prices alone, does he have any contingency plans for the direct control of food prices?

:No, I have no plans for the direct control of food prices. This was not even introduced during the period of office of the Labour Government. Furthermore, I do not believe that it would work, particularly in view of the situation of world food supplies. To try to put controls on food supplies over which, in fact, we have no control would result merely in rationing having to be introduced again. The best thing we can do to help in terms of food prices is to continue with existing policies.

:What products recently have gone down in price, such as butter, margarine and jam?

:The best example of a food which has gone down in price is butter, which during the last few weeks has fallen in price by about 9p a lb. Eggs also are considerably cheaper than they have been for years—[Hon. Members: "Oh."] It is extraordinary how hon. Members opposite hate to hear about falling prices.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the average consumption per head of beef, fish and beer in the last month for which figures are available; what difference this represents since the same month two years ago; and by what proportion the price of these foods has increased in this period.

Figures for individual months are not available but I will circulate in the Official Report figures for the last quarters of 1969 and 1971.

Has the Minister perceived, and is he not concerned, that a reduction in the consumption of certain important protein foods has now commenced? Is that not a direct result of Government policy?

:There has been a fall in the amounts of beef and fish available for sale. This is largely because of world factors beyond our control. However, all available supplies have been taken up and the Government, through their agricultural policy, are doing all they can to increase the production of beef and dairy products.

Concerning the important matter of fish, which is often a substitute for beef and other meats, will the Minister comment on the price of fish and chips, for example, if we are denied access to fishing off the Icelandic Banks after September?

:This is the kind of world factor which pushes up prices. Our exclusion from a 50-mile area round Iceland would have a serious effect on fish prices as well as on unemployment in certain areas. This is a factor very much in the Government's mind in their attitude towards the Icelandic dispute.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the percentage increase in the retail prices of bread, butter and beef since June, 1970.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food by how much the retail prices of beef, butter and cheese have now increased since June, 1970.

As the answer contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate the information in the Official Report.

Is the Minister aware that, without seeing these figures, we know sufficient to realise that when the Government are kicked out by the electorate in about 18 months, one of their great successes will have been to raise the price of a roast beef sandwich almost to the price of a meal at the Savoy when they took office in 1970?

:Nothing damages a case more than to exaggerate in the way in which the hon. Gentleman has exaggerated. I recognised, probably better than most hon. Members, the serious rise in food prices over the last few years. But for all that, the position has improved. Hon. Gentlemen opposite should at least give credit for the fact that the position is now a good deal better than it was two years ago or one year ago.

:Is the Minister aware that he published figures only three weeks ago indicating that essential foodstuffs had increased substantially in price between June, 1970, and April this year? Does he agree that they are still increasing? Will he spell out the precise steps he proposes to take to prevent them from increasing any further when we enter the Common Market?

We have accepted that entry into the Common Market is bound to lead to some increase in the price of food. We have never disguised that fact. The hon. Gentleman must take into account the rise in the standard of living which is going on now and which will take place when we join the Community. After all, it is the standard of living more than the cost of living which counts.

Will my right hon. Friend explain further the reason for the decrease in the price of butter so that the housewife will understand? Will he explain not only this sudden fluctuation, but what he will do for the future to keep the price steady?

:The reason the price of butter increased so rapidly was a world shortage. World supplies are now more plentiful, among other reasons because we are producing more butter at home; and the price has fallen by £120 a ton in the last three months. I see no reason why it should not stabilise at about the present level for the rest of the year.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what has been the percentage rise in the Food Index in each six months period from mid-May to mid-November in each of the last three years; and what has been the increase since November, 1971 to date.

:As the answer contains a number of figures I will, with permission, circulate the information in the Official Report.

:Since the right hon. Gentleman refuses to give the figures, I will give them. Am I correct in repeating the answer to my Question on 18th January that from mid-May to mid-November, 1969, the Food Price Index went up by 0·3 per cent., from mid-May to mid-November, 1970, by 1 per cent., and from mid-May to mid-November, 1971, by 2·4 per cent.; in other words, 800 per cent. more in the six months from mid-May to mid-November, 1971, compared with 0·3 per cent. in the last six months of the Labour Government? Will he also confirm that there are concealed price increases, as some of his hon. Friends will tell him, by reductions in the weights and qualities of goods, although the prices appear to remain stable?

:The hon. Gentleman has shown only too well the acceleration in food prices that was going on before the election and that has gone on since. That is exactly what we are at last beginning to get under control. Therefore, I think the hon. Gentleman should be pleased that I did not give the figures.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what official representations he has received from the National Farmers' Union in Cornwall about damage caused by the prototype Concorde on its flight-testing programme.

None, Sir.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the anti-Concorde project has approached the NFU in Cornwall to provide a list of farms over which Concorde has flown so that it might try to elicit complaints from fanners? Is he further aware that one of the farmers, Mr. Rex Davey, who farms 600 acres in Cornwall, was approached by the anti-Concorde project and asked to list the occasions on which Concorde had damaged live stock and buildings, and that he replied that Concorde had caused no damage—[Hon. Members: "Speech."]—either to his buildings or to any of his livestock? Is he aware that Mr. Davey asked me to do what I could—

Too long.

No, Sir, I am not aware of these facts, but there have been very few complaints. Very little damage has been done, in spite of the fears in agriculture. The Cornwall NFU has acted very responsibly in these matters.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make it a condition of the grant of calf subsidy that the beast shall not be subsequently exported.

My right hon. Friend does not consider such action to be either practical or desirable.

Does the Minister realise that it is making the British farmer the laughing stock of Europe? Does he also realise that the British housewife objects to paying tax to get beef at a reasonable price only to find that that beef has gone abroad to subsidise the French housewife?

No, Sir, I do not agree that it is making the British farmer a laughing stock. If I may put to the hon. Gentleman the practical difficulties of his suggestion, the subsidy is paid to a fanner who owns and rears calves, and he has no control whatever over whether they are exported after he has sold them. Therefore, it would be totally impracticable to do what the hon. Gentleman suggests.

:What were our total exports of beef to Europe in the last three months?

I am afraid that I cannot answer that question without notice.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he has yet considered the future of the Horticulture Improvement Scheme, particularly in respect of those growers who will require capital to reorientate their patterns of production as a consequence of United Kingdom entry into the European Economic Community; and if he will make a statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will make a statement on the future of the Horticulture Improvement Scheme after 1974.

Under existing legislation the Horticulture Improvement Scheme still has well over 18 months to run, and I am sure that growers will continue to take full advantage of it. The nature of the assistance to be given to the industry in the longer term is under consideration.

Is my hon. Friend aware that anxiety is being created by the uncertainty, particularly for growers who wish to adapt to the new and changing circumstances? Furthermore, will he give some indication of the discussions which are taking place at present be- tween the EEC and the United Kingdom Government about this form of grant aid?

:It would be difficult for me to do this without incurring the displeasure of the House by giving too long a reply, but there are no grounds for the rumours which are causing needless alarm in respect of the scheme up to April, 1974. The kind of help and its extent after that time is being considered, and the recent EEC directives on help to be given through FEOGA lay greater emphasis on the improvement of structure than does the present scheme.

:The hon. Gentleman says that the matter is under consideration. When will he be in a position to make an announcement? This section of the industry, which is very important, is extremely worried about entry into the EEC. It must be admitted, even by ardent Europeans, that inevitably our horticultural industry may be affected.

I am sure the right hon. Gentleman will wish to join me in paying a tribute to the enterprise shown by British horticulture. It is almost certain that we shall come back to the House before the present scheme ends to obtain more money for the scheme to be extended. I deplore any suggestion that we shall not be able to compete once growers have taken advantage of this scheme.

:Has my hon. Friend in mind the fact that his right hon. Friends have given some firm undertakings on this matter and that these have been generally understood not to be within the context solely of the Horticulture Improvement Scheme? Will he give an assurance that he is bearing these undertakings in mind in formulating his policy?

Yes.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will obtain particulars of the United States Food and Drug Administration Scheme for indicating nutritional values on packaged foods with a view to initiating a similar scheme of information for consumers in the United Kingdom.

My right hon. Friend has particulars of the US scheme which was published for comment on 30th March last and is still under discussion. Our Labelling of Food Regulations, 1970, which will come into force on 1st January, 1973, lay down rules for claims about nutritional properties.

:With artificial substances increasingly reducing traditional nutrients, is not it a fact that a little of what you fancy from a food packet nowadays may do you anything but good? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that shoppers are and will be completely in the dark about food values? In addition to the suggestions made in the new fool labelling regulations, will the hon. Gentleman consider a massive extension of the food standards procedure as an additional protection for the shopper?

Once again the hon. Lady has shown her interest in these very important subjects. It is important that claims made on labels and in advertisements should be correct and true. Of course we watch these matters most carefully.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to be able to announce proposals to implement the review of the forestry policy published in June, 1972.

My right hon. Friends await the views of interested bodies on the consultative document which has been published. Meanwhile they have had a preliminary exchange of views with the Forestry Committee of Great Britain.

:Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the very good work that the Forestry Commission is doing in promoting amenity areas and forest paths? Will he investigate the possibility of making it a condition of grants to private woodland owners that they, too, should provide this kind of amenity free to the public? While the hon. Gentleman is conducting consultations, will he also indicate how he proposes to consult Parliament on this report?

:We are well aware of the good work that the Forestry Commission is doing, to which the hon. Gentleman has drawn attention. I agree that it is becom- ing increasingly important. However, this is a consultative document, which means that a very wide range of people must digest it first. We are consulting them. Certainly we shall keep the House informed of what we are doing.

Is my hon. Friend aware that the review has not been received with rapturous enthusiasm by the organisations principally concerned with the well being of forestry in this country? Will he consult his right hon. Friend the Leader of the House about the possibility of a debate on forestry before the end of the present year and certainly before implementing proposals are announced?

:Of course I will do that. But there is a great deal of misunderstanding about it. The dedication scheme will continue. It is only an extension of that which will probably be altered. There is a great deal of misunderstanding, but it is right that we should consult these bodies and sort out this matter. That is what we intend to do.

:Will the hon. Gentleman pay attention to that part of the review of forestry policy dealing with the provision of jobs in development districts and the use of forestry resources to set up industries which can find it of advantage to use the supplies which are undoubtedly available?

The hon. Gentleman is right. That is exactly what the Government intend to do.

:Will my hon. Friend take the earliest opportunity to clear up the confusion about when a planting grant can be given for afforestation? Will he also take note of the fact that many of the premises in the Treasury cost-benefit study are open to considerable doubt, to say the least?

:Again, this is all for consultation. The cost-benefit study throws light on important parts of the economics of forestry. But we have made it clear that it cannot be the sole basis for deciding future policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he now proposes to take to control the import of foods from countries which permit the use of antibiotic additions in feeding stuffs, and agricultural chemicals for crop protection, which are banned in Great Britain on grounds of risk to health or the contamination of the environment.

My right hon. Friend does not consider such action is necessary at present on either health or environmental grounds, but he is continuing to keep these matters under review.

Do not we have the rather curious situation in which the British consumer is able to buy imported horticultural and agricultural foodstuffs which have been produced with the aid of chemicals that are banned to the home producer? Should not our position as the world's biggest importer of food give us a great deal of bargaining power in persuading other countries to adopt regulations similar to our own, and is that bargaining power being used?

I understand my hon. Friend's concern about these matters. We are watching the position closely. I do not believe that the hazard is as great as some people make out. We monitor imported meat especially, and certainly we are leading the world in restricting antibiotics in food.

Will the hon. Gentleman agree that if we have a ban on the use of these antibiotics, we have it for a good reason? If that is the case, is not it near criminal to allow such imports into the country if there is the possibility of contamination? Will the hon. Gentleman act now?

:No. The hon. Gentleman is exaggerating slightly. I do not think that it is criminal. We are watching this problem. We are monitoring, as I have said, and action will be taken if the levels rise too much.

Why ban it for us?

:Does the hon. Gentleman accept that under EEC regulations permitting the use of such antibiotics in feeding stuffs, we are not allowed to ban them? Does he accept, further, that we have accepted a position which forces our farmers to adopt a less advantageous method of producing meat, with consequential health hazards?

No. We are aware of the situation in the Community and we have obtained a five-year derogation from that part of the directive, during which time we hope that member States will adopt our policy.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from hon. Members about beer prices; and what reply he has sent.

Since the beginning of last year my right hon. Friend and I have received 10 letters from hon. Members about beer prices. Appropriate replies have been sent.

Does the Minister of State realise that working men's club committees despair of putting up price lists since, with each delivery of stock from breweries or wholesalers, prices have gone up—not Federation, of course? How long do we have to wait until the working man has to pay 25p for his pint?

:There have been selective increases this year by most of our leading brewers. This reflects the recommendation of the National Board for Prices and Incomes in 1969 that prices should go up in order that certain improvements might be made. I should have thought that the annual increase in consumption, the figures of which came out two days ago, seemed to imply considerable satisfaction on the part of beer drinkers.

:While it may be two-edged as an argument, the fact remains that since the Government came to office the consumption of alcohol has gone up. From this increase in consumption is it not clear that people can afford to pay more?

I also accept, generally speaking, that alcohol is something that one drinks by way of celebration.

:Does not the hon. Gentleman agree that this is about the only subject on which Sir William McEwan Younger has not made a pronouncement?

I am afraid that in view of Sir William McEwan Younger's present position, that does not seem to be entirely relevant.

:In addition to thinking in terms of beer prices, can the hon. Gentleman explain away the fact that over the last two or three years the specific gravity of beer has gone down to the extent that it is now near-beer and not beer at all?

:The hon. Gentleman is renowned for his powers of exaggeration. The specific gravity of beer has fallen by a minimal amount over the last 10 years.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if, in view of the increase in the international trade in barley exports so far in 1972 over 1970–71, he will make a statement on the probable effects of this in the United Kingdom market; and what is the position over other grains.

I do not consider that any increase recorded in international trade in the major cereals in this crop year is likely to have any harmful effects on our market, which is protected by the variable levy scheme.

I am grateful for that answer. Is my hon. Friend aware that the House is grateful for the fact that a statement is to be made concerning cereals arising from yesterday's discussions in Brussels? Is he also aware of concern about the original proposals by the Commission? Will his statement improve on those proposals?

:It would probably be wise for my hon. Friend to wait for the statement.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a further statement on the progress being made towards the eradication of mice from the Commons part of the Palace of Westminster.

During the Easter Adjournment our routine daily treatments were augmented by intensive operations. This programme materially reduced the infestation, and if necessary it will be repeated during future Adjournments and Recesses; but complete eradication is impracticable in a complex structure such as the Palace of Westminster.

This is a very small subject, but does my hon. Friend agree that it raises matters of considerable national importance? Will he tell the House what steps, if any, are being taken to deal with the menace of increasing immunity—

Speak up.

:That is true to form. Will my hon. Friend tell us what steps, if any, are being taken to eradicate the menace of increasing immunity of some pests to previously effective pesticides?

:Parliamentary mice have not been specifically tested for resistance to Warfarin, but other poisons are used in the Palace of Westminster because resistant mice are quite common in the London area. It seems that mice are as persistent as some hon. Members in their desire to stay here.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, following the publication of the Report of the Food Standards Committee on the date stamping of foodstuffs, what steps he intends to take to protect the consumer.

As my right hon. Friend's reply to my hon. Friend on 5th July indicated, he will decide later this year on any action needed when he has the comments of consumers and trade organisations on this informative and important report by the Food Standards Committee.—[Vol. 840, c.155–6.]

Will my right hon. Friend accept our appreciation of his initiative in commissioning this report, will he convey our congratulations to the Food Standards Committee on the excellence of its report, but, when he receives representations from the trade, will he turn a deaf ear to those who may seek to perpetuate inefficient stock control methods at the expense of the consumer and fully implement the recommendations in the report at the earliest opportunity?

I will certainly convey to my right hon. Friend the comments my hon. Friend made and the compliments she paid to him. We completely accept in principle the basis on which the committee has reached its conclusion, but the committee admitted the need to examine detailed suggestions on, for example, the exact form of dating, which is a fairly complex matter. That is why comments have been invited by 31st October.

Does the Minister accept that this Question, like those from my hon. Friend the Member for Wood Green (Mrs. Joyce Butler), the hon. Member for Blackpool, South (Mr. Blaker) and many other hon. Members recently, emphasises the compelling urgency now for a consumer advisory committee? Before Report stage of the Agriculture (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, will he reconsider his rejection of the Labour Party's proposal on that issue?

I do not know what more the hon. Gentleman or the House could wish for than the excellent report of the Food Standards Committee.

Does my hon. Friend accept that the question is not as simple as it looks? Food stamp dating can help, but it can also confuse. One thing that is certain is that if it is not done carefully it can powerfully affect the price of food, and that is in no one's interest.

I have seen Press reports to that effect. I should very much prefer not to comment on it, but to await the detailed and, I hope, informed comments that will come in by 31st October.

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the complexities of the matter have been greatly exaggerated and that there is widespread disappointment that his right hon. Friend did not decide to implement the report immediately? This has been a priority demand for consumers for years, and the trade and everybody else concerned has had a long time in which to consider all the details. When is the hon. Gentleman going to get on with it?

May I inform the hon. Lady that two of the recommendations of the report itself were that comments from the food industry ought to be invited and considered by the committee, and that no regulations ought to come into force for three years?

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is aware of anxieties among producers of Bramley apples that the European Economic Community grading regulations are designed for dessert apples, and consequently the majority of Bramleys will technically be grade III and be prohibited from the market; and if he will take steps to protect the British crop.

Whilst I do not accept that under the EEC Regulations the majority of Bramleys would be prohibited from sale I do recognise that the EEC grades make no separate provision for culinary apples and that this could give rise to marketing problems. It is for this reason that we have already told the Commission that problems may arise on Bramleys and we shall want to pursue this matter vigorously after our entry.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that the Bramley is the finest cooking apple in the world? Since this Question was put on the Order Paper I have been inundated with letters from housewives who are most anxious to be assured that the supply of these apples will continue. I hope that my right hon. Friend will be vigorous when he says "vigorous", because we must have these regulations altered to suit British conditions, and we must not be steamrollered into taking continental produce.

The Bramley apple is unique, and its quality is unrivalled in the rest of the world. The conciliatory tone taken by the Council of Ministers last night leads me to think that it will take a similar attitude in future.

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that unless some action is taken with the EEC about the use of Ethoxyqin to cure blight in apples, a chemical which is used for that purpose but which is not allowed to be used under the EEC regulations, we shall not get any apples anyway? What is the right hon. Gentleman going to do about it?

I will look carefully at what the hon. Gentleman said and write to him.

We cannot allow the Bramley to be graded III in the EEC. It is the most delicious apple that we grow. I grow a lot of them on my property, and it is marvellous to go out and pick an apple.

I am certain that my hon. Friend's Bramley apples are so good that they would not in any case be graded III. If they are delicious I am certain that there will be a market for them, and it is my job to see that there is one.

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he is satisfied with the working of the existing legislation as regards safeguarding the interests of consumers of products for which he has responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Yes, Sir. Consumers of food are protected by the Food and Drugs Act, 1955, supplemented by regulations dealing with composition, description, labelling, advertising, food additives, hygiene and safety. The legislation is amended when necessary.

:Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, despite what he read out, it has had little effect in curbing the activities of dubious advertisers and gimmicky sales promotion which, together with the lackadaisical, cavalier attitude of his right hon. Friend, has contributed to rising prices? Rising food prices for the average British housewife can have a serious effect on industrial relations, and that is the point which the hon. Gentleman ought to consider.

:I do not accept much of what the hon. Gentleman said. He can rest assured that the consumer is protected and that we watch this matter very carefully.

:Is my hon. Friend aware that in the Queen's Speech it was clearly stated that legislation would be introduced this Session further to protect the consumer? As the Session is getting on, is my Hon. Friend able to say whether he and his colleagues will put this right in the next Session?

I am not qualified to answer that. All that I can do is to bring the matter to the attention of my right hon. Friend.