Orders of the Day — Prices

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 7 May 1973.

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Photo of Mr George Proudfoot Mr George Proudfoot , Brighouse and Spenborough 12:00, 7 May 1973

I am sorry, but I did not understand any of the last three Opposition speakers. They gave me the impression, which I so often have in this House, that some hon. Members live entirely in a world of their own. The hon. Member for Gloucestershire, West (Mr. Loughlin) virtually called for lower food prices at the expense of the developing countries. I wonder how he and his colleagues would square those remarks with international Socialism. Those countries can raise their standard of living only if we pay a decent price for their products.

The hon. Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, West (Mr. Robert C. Brown) made great play with what was printed in the weekly trade paper the Grocer. He should have read it more deeply, because he would then have found that, irrespective of Government controls, profit margins on the retail and wholesale trades have been virtually a constant percentage of sales. In the natural order of things, in practice, those margins are fixed by the laws of economics, which are far stronger and tougher than the laws of this House. The hon. Member could produce figures from some supermarkets which showed that they were doing better percentage-wise but only because they started to sell foods—which, by the same economic laws, give higher margins.

This House has much regard for the old people, but many hon. Members and Lobby journalists ought to get out and meet some old-age pensioners. I would not dare to call most old people in my constituency old-age pensioners. I would rather call them "retirees". They are well dressed, look well after themselves and have a very good life. They are the first to tell me that, and they do not tell me en masse, but as individuals. I am a retailer and I ought to know how well they are doing. It will never be good enough for politicians; we want them to do better still.

The hon. Member for Gloucestershire, West said that old-age pensioners do not eat butter. That is just not true. The House may be amazed by the figures I shall quote, but they are produced every month in a survey of food prices. It is in the Library every month, year after year, and I never tire of quoting it. No one believes the figures, because they say, "We spend more than that on food. If one goes into a grocery store one finds a lady buying tights, dog or cat food, toothpaste, toilet rolls, and a hundred and one things which nobody ever eats.

These figures refer to food only. At the last count, on the March figures, the average old-age pensioner spent £2·49 a week on food. Before anyone exceeds that he has to have an income of £53 a week. The statistics are contributed from 8,000 households in 44 constituencies. I have checked this in my constituency and I find that the pensioner spends 35 per cent. of his income on food and the average person spends 25 per cent. Food is becoming less important as part of the household budget. Hon. Members who do not know that never go shopping.