§ 56. Mr. Cooper-Keyasked the Minister of Food whether licences to open green grocery shops will be made in future automatically to include permission to deal in imported fruit.
§ 59. Commander Nobleasked the Minister of Food whether he is aware of' the hardship caused to greengrocers unable to obtain a licence to sell imported fruit, tomatoes, etc.; and whether he will now consider dispensing with a separate licence for the sale of these goods.
§ Sir B. SmithRetail licences granted to greengrocers do not prohibit the sale of imported produce and tomatoes and no separate licence is required for the sale of these goods. Such licences do not, however, carry with them automatically an entitlement to allocation and while supplies are so much below the prewar level, it is desirable, in order to secure economy in distribution, to maintain the present system of restricting allocations generally to prewar traders in imported produce.
§ Sir Waldron SmithersIs the Minister aware that returning ex-Servicemen who open up greengrocers' shops cannot make them pay unless they get an allocation of imported fruits?
§ Sir B. SmithThat is up to them when they make their application. The conditions are laid down.