3. Major NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, seeing that large quantities of red wine are at present held up in the docks at London, Manchester, Swansea, and elsewhere, and that many pipes of port wine are also held up and in danger of deteriorating, and in view of the prevailing influenza epidemic and the advice of the medical profession that wine should be drunk as a preventative, he will allow the release of same?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe hon. and gallant Member is presumably referring to consignments of Spanish wine which have been imported in contravention of the Prohibition of Import Proclamations. There has been a tendency on the part of some firms engaged in this trade to import wine in excess of the ration, and, in fairness to other traders who have not exceeded their 6 rations, the excessive importations are detained under bond. Large quantities of Spanish wine have been imported, and my right hon. Friend does not think it necessary that these irregular imports should be released for the reasons suggested in the last part of the question. Port wine is admitted freely at present.