§ 58. Sir Leonard Lyleasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food whether, in view of the fact that in 1942 His Majesty's Government made £1,350,000 profit by trading in cocoa, he can state the price paid to the producers in the West Indies and in West Africa, respectively?
§ Mr. Mabane1.7 per cent. of cocoa purchased by my Department is from the West Indies, for which the price to the producer ranged in 1942 from £38 10s. 1144 to £89 10s. a ton according to quality and grade. West African purchases are made from the West African Produce Control Board, but I understand that the producers' prices were approximately £15 a ton on the Gold Coast and £14 10s a ton in Nigeria for the season ended 30th September, 1942.
§ Sir L. LyleIs this considered a remunerative price by the producers, and, if not, is it not a mistake to cut the price too low when our object is to improve conditions?
§ Mr. MabaneThe arrangement to reduce the price is a matter for the Colonial Office, and the Question should be addressed to the Secretary of State.