§ 26. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Food what quantities of foreign carrots he has imported this autumn and how much does he propose to import; and if the same price restrictions will be imposed on foreign as on home-grown carrots.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food (Dr. Edith Summer-skill)My right hon. Friend has not imported any carrots and does not propose to do so. Private traders, however, may import new crop carrots when these are available. Main crop carrots of the 1949 crop are price-controlled, but there will be no control of the new crop, whether home-grown or imported.
§ Sir W. SmithersCan the right hon. Lady assure us that no priority in any way at all will be given to the foreign grower at the expense of the British grower?
§ Dr. SummerskillIf the hon. Gentleman will look at the answer I have given, he will see what I have told him.
§ Air-Commodore HarveyWill carrots figure in the election expenses of the Labour Party?
§ 27. Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Food if he will give the names of organisations and persons with whom he has consultations before fixing the carrot prices.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe National Farmers' Unions; the National Federation of Fruit and Potato Trades, Ltd., and the Joint Council of British Potato and Vegetable Merchants' Associations, representing wholesalers; the Retail Fruit Trade Federation and the Scottish Federation of Grocers, representing retailers; and with trade union representatives.
§ Sir W. SmithersWould the right hon. Lady say whether the advice of the organisations she has mentioned was acted upon, and whether she is aware 1519 that, because of Government control, the vegetable and fruit industry is in chaos, large amounts of produce are being wasted and there is a great loss of fruit which is now rotting on the ground?
§ Dr. SummerskillNo, Sir.