§ 22. Mr. Collinsasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the need for increasing home food production, he will prohibit the export of any types of agricultural machinery for which the demand exceeds supply.
§ Sir S. CrippsNo, Sir. I cannot agree to prohibit exports as suggested.
§ Mr. CollinsIs my right hon. and learned Friend aware that the bad weather has accentuated the extreme shortage of certain types of agricultural machinery and placed farmers very much behind, and can he not therefore regard it as a special case and make a prohibition for, say, six months to help them out?
§ Sir S. CrippsIt is quite impossible to cancel a large batch of contracts already entered into for supplies going abroad, and in many cases the machinery is needed to produce food which will be imported into this country.