Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Fisheries and Food – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 13 Rhagfyr 1973.
Mr Joe Ashton
, Bassetlaw
12:00,
13 Rhagfyr 1973
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimates he has made of the increase in price per pound of turkey from Christmas 1969 to Christmas 1973.
Mrs Peggy Fenner
, Rochester and Chatham
The price of frozen oven-ready turkeys in supermarkets this Christmas is likely to be in the region of 8p per lb. higher than at Christmas 1969.
Mr Joe Ashton
, Bassetlaw
The hon. Lady has not given the figures for fresh birds, and they represent an increase of a quarter to a third on prices since last year alone. Does not she realise that the time has come to introduce subsidies on foods, especially on Christmas foods such as this?—otherwise half the families in the country will end up having to have gruel for Christmas instead of their usual Christmas dinners.
Mrs Peggy Fenner
, Rochester and Chatham
The Price Commission expects that fresh birds will be about 45p or 50p a lb. this year. Yesterday the poultry traders said that prices are likely to be a bit below that. Supplies this year have increased by 500,000 turkeys. That gives a clear indication that they expect to sell more.
Sir Robert Cary
, Manchester, Withington
Did not we pay a bonus last year and the year before to help in these matters? Can my hon. Friend say whether a similar bonus was paid in 1969?
Mrs Peggy Fenner
, Rochester and Chatham
I do not recall a £10 bonus to pensioners in 1969.
Mr Raphael Tuck
, Watford
Does not the hon. Lady think that from the point of view of the average housewife and her family this will be the worst Christmas that they have ever experienced? In view of the fact that the Government's measures have so far turned out to be totally ineffective, will the Government either produce effective measures to control inflation or resign?
Mr Selwyn Lloyd
, Wirral
Order. This has not much to do with turkeys.
Mr Raphael Tuck
, Watford
On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. It certainly has to do with Christmas.
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.
The Speaker is an MP who has been elected to act as Chairman during debates in the House of Commons. He or she is responsible for ensuring that the rules laid down by the House for the carrying out of its business are observed. It is the Speaker who calls MPs to speak, and maintains order in the House. He or she acts as the House's representative in its relations with outside bodies and the other elements of Parliament such as the Lords and the Monarch. The Speaker is also responsible for protecting the interests of minorities in the House. He or she must ensure that the holders of an opinion, however unpopular, are allowed to put across their view without undue obstruction. It is also the Speaker who reprimands, on behalf of the House, an MP brought to the Bar of the House. In the case of disobedience the Speaker can 'name' an MP which results in their suspension from the House for a period. The Speaker must be impartial in all matters. He or she is elected by MPs in the House of Commons but then ceases to be involved in party politics. All sides in the House rely on the Speaker's disinterest. Even after retirement a former Speaker will not take part in political issues. Taking on the office means losing close contact with old colleagues and keeping apart from all groups and interests, even avoiding using the House of Commons dining rooms or bars. The Speaker continues as a Member of Parliament dealing with constituent's letters and problems. By tradition other candidates from the major parties do not contest the Speaker's seat at a General Election. The Speakership dates back to 1377 when Sir Thomas Hungerford was appointed to the role. The title Speaker comes from the fact that the Speaker was the official spokesman of the House of Commons to the Monarch. In the early years of the office, several Speakers suffered violent deaths when they presented unwelcome news to the King. Further information can be obtained from factsheet M2 on the UK Parliament website.
