§ 28. Mr. Lambertasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the reduction of imports of wheat and meat in October, 1938, amounting to 550,000 cwts. and 450,000 cwts., respectively, as compared with October, 1937; whether he has information to show that imports were deliberately withheld by importers owing to the impossibility of effecting war risk insurances for these commodities; and, if so, will he immediately establish a system of war risk insurance to enable these essential commodities to be safely insured when landed in this country?
§ Mr. StanleyThe answer to the first part of my right hon. Friend's question is in the affirmative, and to the second part in the negative. The question raised in the last part is at present under active consideration.
§ Mr. LambertIs my right hon. Friend not aware that many commodities were withheld from coming into this country in the late crisis owing to the impossibility of insuring those commodities when they were landed here?
§ Mr. StanleyThat is a more general question, and it is not the case to which the right hon. Gentleman refers in his question.
§ Mr. LambertCan the right hon. Gentleman say why these quantities were reduced?
§ Mr. StanleyIt is rather difficult to answer by way of a supplementary, but the meat was reduced because of the decision of the Meat Council which I should have thought would have been welcomed by the right hon. Gentleman. As regards the reduction which took place in wheat coming on the long haul, the decision must have been made before the crisis arose, while in the case of wheat coming on the short haul from the United States and Canada there was no reduction at all.
§ Mr. G. GriffithsIs it not a fact that the right hon. Member for South Molton (Mr. Lambert) has repeatedly gone into the Lobby to prevent meat from coming to this country?