§ 109. Mr. R. McNEILLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether 998 cwts. of. foreign hops were imported in the week ending the 25th October, and 1,556 cwts. in the week ending the 1st November; whether these hops were bonâ fide en route to British consignees or actually paid for by them before the 1st June; and, if not, will he say when he revised the conditions for permission to import hops announced on the 16th August?
§ Mr. PRETYMANThe figures given in the question relate to the weeks ending the 21st and 28th October respectively, and the importations were all permitted in the circumstances described in the answer to a question by the hon. Member for Maidstone which appears in the OFFICIAL REPORT for 16th August.
§ Mr. MCNEILLDoes not the reply to which the hon. Gentleman refers definitely state that the licences to import were restricted entirely to consignments which were bonâ fide en route, on the 1st June?
§ Mr. PRETYMANNo, not entirely. It was entirely as regards the United States and neutral countries, but it was specifically stated that shipments—there have been some small ones—from France and Belgium would be allowed to continue.
§ Mr. McNEILLAm I to understand that these consignments referred to in the question are all from France and Belgium?
§ Mr. PRETYMANNo; the hon. Member is not to understand anything of the kind. Consignments often come from all sources for the reasons stated by the hon. Member, namely, that they were already under way or had already been paid for.
§ Mr. McNEILLCan the hon. Gentleman say whether any of those which arrived as late as the end of October were actually en route on the 1st June?
§ Mr. PRETYMANIf they came in under that provision, they were. None have been allowed except under the conditions definitely stated to the House.
§ 110. Mr. McNEILLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the 2,554 cwts. of foreign hops which were imported in the two weeks ending 1st November occupied cubic space of shipping sufficient to have carried 638 tons 411 of grain; whether shortage of tonnage is one of the reasons officially alleged for the present high price of bread; and whether it is the policy of the Government to continue the import of hops regardless of the scarcity of the necessaries of life partly caused by such imports?
§ Mr. PRETYMANThe figures quoted appear substantially to represent the facts. Shortage of tonnage is doubtless one of the factors affecting prices at the present time and it is "with a view to saving tonnage that restrictions have been imposed on the importation of a number of articles, including hops, which may be imported only in the circumstances described in the answer to the hon. and gallant Member for Maidstone on 16th August.