§ 10. Lady Tweedsmuirasked the Minister of Food whether he will now give facilities to provision merchants in the United Kingdom to sell canned fruit, free of points, on the home market.
§ Mr. StracheyAll home-produced canned fruit, as well as imported canned grapes and canned apples, are already sold free of points. I shall take the other varieties off points as soon as I am satisfied that I can justifiably do so.
§ Lady TweedsmuirIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that British provision merchants have now to compete against the Republic of Eire, which is selling all 9 kinds of canned fruits on the market without import licences and therefore without paying duty? What action does he propose to take to protect our own provision merchants?
§ Mr. StracheyIt is, of course, illegal for residents in this country to import from Eire without a Board of Trade licence.
§ Lady TweedsmuirIs the Minister aware that provision merchants in this country are finding that the Republic of Eire are advertising their goods on the home market both by way of advertisements and circulars? Will he not, therefore, make representations to Eire?
§ Mr. StracheyPerhaps the noble Lady will give me direct instances of that practice.
§ Mr. ErrollIn what countries are the grapes canned?
§ Mr. StracheyCanned grapes come from various parts of the world, including South Africa.