§ 6. Mr. Harold Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies the amount of coffee exported from Kenya to Italy for each month of the past year.
Mr. Creech JonesAs the answer consists of a table of figures I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ The following is the table:
§ The amount of coffee exported from Kenya to Italy has been as follows:
- 1948:
- November—267 cwt.
- December—100 cwt.
- 1949:
- January—50 cwt.
- February—nil.
- March—nil.
- April—nil.
- May—nil.
- June—nil.
- July—261 cwt.
- August—485 cwt.
- September—274 cwt.
- October—923 cwt.
§ 9. Mr. Harold Daviesasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether his attention has been drawn to the cancellation of the weekly coffee auctions in 1197 Nairobi following an official announcement by the Kenya Government that coffee was being sold for hard currencies; and whether he has any statement to make.
Mr. Creech JonesI am aware that the weekly coffee auctions in Nairobi were cancelled by merchants on 26th October, pending consideration of large sales abroad for soft currency which might through resales have represented loss of hard currency to the sterling area. The auctions have now been re-opened. The Kenya Coffee Board have voluntarily agreed to divert 25 per cent. of the remaining "free" crop to hard currency destinations although this means a sacrifice in the returns to growers.
§ Mr. DaviesHas my right hon. Friend any estimate of what this country has lost through those leakages?