HC Deb 27 February 1946 vol 419 cc1926-7

The following Question stood on the Order Paper:

69. * Mr. Peter Freeman

asked the Minister of Food whether he is yet in a position to re-issue licences to importers who wish to bring into this country up to 500,000 tons of tomatoes from the Canary Islands; and if he is aware that they are liable to go rotten if not imported at once, as occurred last year.

Mr. Freeman

I wish.to make a correction in the figure, which should be 50,000.

Sir B. Smith

Yes, Sir. I am making arrangements for the licences to be reissued as early as possible. I would add, however, that the quantity available is not likely to be more than one-twentieth of that mentioned in the Question. As regards the last part of the Question, I have no information as to what happened to the Canary Island tomatoes last year.

Mr. Freeman

Is the Minister aware that a consignment of tomatoes has already reached London, has been transmitted by rail through England, and that some of them have already been delivered in Ireland? Why are they not made available in England?

Sir B. Smith

The answer is that the Spanish Government intervened in these negotiations and sought to impose a condition that I was not at that time prepared to accept. Since then, however, they have changed their ground and I have agreed to take in the tomatoes.

Major Cecil Poole

Will the Minister see that in such negotiations the country is not held up to ransom by countries who have taken no part in the war?

Sir B. Smith

That is a very important consideration.