§ Mr. JOELasked the Minister of Agriculture whether his attention has been 1686W called to the fact that British fruit-canners are intending to reduce their fruit pack this year; whether he has any information to show why this reduction is necessary; and what is the present approximate proportion of imported canned fruit consumed in this country to that produced in British canning factories?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am informed that there may be some reduction in the quantity of home-grown fruit canned this year. It is no doubt attributed to ordinary commercial reasons, but it would not seem possible to give any single cause. While precise figures are not available of the production of canned fruit in this country, the proportions of imported and home-produced canned fruit consumed in this country would appear to be in the neighbourhood of 88 per cent. and 12 per cent. respectively.