HC Deb 05 December 1945 vol 416 cc2317-8
41. Sir A. Salter

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will arrange for the early issue of a White Paper summarising the information in the possession of the Government as to Europe's needs of imported food and materials in the forthcoming winter and the corresponding world resources.

Mr. Bevin

No, Sir; not for Europe alone. Such a document would be misleading. We are considering whether we will consult other countries to see if it is possible to publish statistics of world needs and world resources.

Sir A. Salter

Does the right hon. Gentleman contemplate that he will be able to make a statement fairly soon covering this matter?

Mr. Bevin

I would not like to promise that. The tendency is for everybody to contemplate that the whole world resources are available for Europe, but there are problems of starvation' in the Far East and all over the world, and therefore, we have to consider world resources in relation to world needs, and not purely European needs.