§ 7. Mr. Walter Fletcherasked the Minister of Food what steps he is taking to ensure full delivery of rice from Burma during the rest of the year, now that supplies of textiles and other goods to Burma are to be drastically curtailed.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe Burma Government, for whom we act as agents in the sale of rice, is represented on the International Emergency Food Committee and is under an obligation to adhere to the principles of allocation. There are no conditions attached to the sale of rice and reductions in imports of other goods are therefore, unlikely to affect the situation. In any case, I am not aware that supplies are being drastically curtailed.
§ Mr. FletcherWill the hon. Lady ask the Board of Trade and find out the real facts? Does she remember that the agreement approved by the I.E.F.C. in Siam failed by 70 per cent. to deliver the rice, and will she make certain that there is not a repetition of that failure?
§ Dr. SummerskillI can assure the hon. Gentleman that the rice sent from Burma is up to schedule. As to the first part of his supplementary question, we made inquiries from the Board of Trade before I answered the Question.