Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture. – in the House of Commons at on 9 December 1929.
Lord Fermoy
, King's Lynn
asked the Minister of Agriculture if he is aware that the cost per ton wholesale of potatoes in East Anglia is from £3 to £3 10s. per ton and that the retail cost in London is about £8; and will he inquire into this matter?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
For the purposes of illustration, the wholesale prices quoted by the Noble Lord would seem to be broadly representative of certain varieties. As regards retail prices, these are not collected by my Department, and the Ministry of Labour figures do not distinguish varieties. The Noble Lord will appreciate that the costs of distribution are unaffected by changes in wholesale values. Very full information was collected by the Linlithgow Committee regarding the composition of the distributive margin, and further inquiry would, no doubt, be undertaken by the Food Council if thought desirable.
Mr Samuel Rosbotham
, Ormskirk
asked the Minister of Agriculture if he will take immediate action to endeavour to remove the embargo on immune varieties of potatoes entering into the Dominions and the United States of America?
Mr Noel Buxton
, Norfolk Northern
This matter has been receiving my earnest consideration, and I can assure my hon. Friend that his proposal has not been overlooked.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
