55. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Food whether more ingredients for the manufacture of sweets for the home 956 market can be given to the British sweet manufacturers so as to make more British sweets available for British children; and whether the system of sending sweets to Poland and Czechoslovakia and receiving sweets from them can be curtailed or abolished.
§ Mr. WebbNo, Sir. The manufacture of more sweets would require sugar which I cannot spare. Our foreign trade in sweets with Poland and Czechoslovakia is very small indeed in relation to the total supply, and no good purpose would be served by curtailing or abolishing it.
Mr. De la BèretIs the Minister aware that the failure of the derationing of sweets was entirely due to the failure of the Government to provide the proper ingredients? It will be the same this time.