§ 58. Mr. Collinsasked the Minister of Food if he is aware that there is no upper limit to the f.o.b. price which can be remitted to shippers of Dutch tomatoes; that many wholesalers are paying to foreign producers prices considerably in excess of the permitted import price; and if he will institute a maximum f.o.b. price related to the import price or vary the present conditions governing the importation and distribution of tomatoes, so that they do not operate inequitably among different sections of traders and result in the expenditure of larger amounts of sterling.
§ Mr. StracheyI am grateful to my hon. Friend for raising this matter. It was always the intention that the price paid to the exporter for tomatoes should not exceed the appropriate import sale price prescribed in the Tomatoes Order. We have received reports that the relative provisions of the Control Orders are being circumvented and I therefore propose to make an Order which will have the effect my hon. Friend desires.