HC Deb 11 May 1932 vol 265 cc2041-3

(1) If, in accordance with the bye-laws of the Wheat Commission, it is proved to the satisfaction of the Commission that quota payments have been duly made in respect of any flour and that the flour has been exported or shipped as stores, a repayment shall be made or allowed by the Commission to the exporter, and the amount of the repayment to be so made or allowed in respect of any quantity of flour, as at the date on which it is exported or shipped as stores, shall be an amount equal to the quota payments payable in respect of a like quantity delivered on that date.

(2) If, in accordance with the byelaws of the Wheat Commission, it is proved to the satisfaction of the Commission with respect to any bread that the bread has been exported and that all the flour from which the bread was made was flour in respect of which quota payments have been duly made, a repayment shall be made or allowed by the Commission to the exporter, and the amount of the repayment to be so made or allowed in respect of any such bread, as at the date on which it is exported, shall be calculated at such a rate that the amount of the repayment in respect of every three hundred and seventy-six pounds of bread shall be equal to the quota payments payable in respect of two hundred and eighty pounds of flour delivered on that date.

Lieut.-Colonel SANDEMAN ALLEN

I beg to move, as an Amendment to the Lords Amendment, in line 4, after the word "flour," to insert the words "or cabin biscuits."

May I ask for an explanation of this Clause on the lines that this is a drawback in respect of flour and bread exported? I would like to bring to the attention of the House the question of the export of cabin biscuits, which consist of 90 per cent. of flour. Our export trade to the West Coast of Africa is being hampered by the inclusion of a Clause of this kind. In France, under the French quota, they have a drawback, and I would like to ask the Minister of Agriculture if it would not be possible to include cabin biscuits in this Clause, and thus remove a possible and probable hardship to the export trade in cabin biscuits.

Dr. SALTER

I beg to second the Amendment.

I should like to reinforce what has been said by the hon. and gallant Member for West Birkenhead (Lieut.-Colonel Sandeman Allen). On an earlier occasion I moved an Amendment winch would have carried out the object which the hon. and gallant Member for West Birkenhead has in view, and the Minister declined to accept it. I should like once again to ask the right hon. Gentleman to consider the point on the lines suggested by the hon. and gallant Member for West Birkenhead.

Mr. BROCKLEBANK

I also would ask my right hon. Friend to consider whether he cannot accept this Amendment.

Sir J. GILMOUR

The House will recollect that we debated this question on a previous occasion, as has been said by the hon. Member for West Bermondsey (Dr. Salter). We have considered this matter very carefully, and have come definitely to the conclusion that we cannot extend this Clause beyond dealing with plain bread, and, therefore, in the circumstances, I am unable to accept the Amendment. The new Clause deals, in a more definite form than the previous Clause, with the problem of the export of bread. It has been drafted after careful consultation with all the interests concerned, and I hope that the House will agree to allow it to remain as it stands.

Amendment to Lords Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.

Motion made, and Question, "That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment," put, and agreed to.—[Sir J. Gilmour.]

Subsequent Lords Amendments, to page 14, line 42, agreed to.