HC Deb 24 November 1948 vol 458 cc1248-9
55. Mr. De la Bère

asked the Minister of Food whether he will now consider taking sugar off the ration altogether as from the 1st January, 1949.

Mr. Strachey

I regret that we cannot afford the dollars necessary to buy enough sugar to end rationing.

Mr. De la Bère

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in Holland sugar has been taken off the ration; and that if the Government continue their schemes of negation against the urgent needs of this country the people will despair and turn this Government out, and a jolly good job, too?

Commander Maitland

If the right hon. Gentleman cannot take sugar off the ration would he, at least, restore the privilege of taking sugar instead of jam the loss of which is enraging every woman in the country?

Mr. Strachey

As we have derationed jam, we obviously cannot restore the privilege of giving up the jam ration for sugar.

Commander Maitland

Will the right hon. Gentleman say what has been done with all the soft fruit grown under the "Grow More Scheme"?

Mr. Strachey

The soft fruit has been made into jam, which is derationed and the consumption of it will go up.

Colonel Stoddart-Scott

Cannot some sugar be bought from sterling areas instead of from dollar areas?

Mr. Strachey

There are many hundreds of thousands of tons of sugar from sterling areas which we buy and consume.

Brigadier Prior-Palmer

Is there any sugar reserve in the country and, if so, what is the amount?

Mr. Strachey

I can certainly tell the hon. and gallant Member that there is a sugar stock in the country—it would be quite impossible to distribute sugar without a stock—but I cannot give the amount.

Mr. De la Bère

In view of the wholly unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter again.