§ 14. Mr. Willsasked the Minister of Food whether he will arrange for sugar to be allocated to suitable organisations in country districts in order that as many people as possible may preserve the large amount of fruit which is available.
§ Mr. F. Willeymy right hon. Friend is very sorry that the sugar supply position does not permit him to make the arrangement suggested.
§ Mr. Willsif it was possible to do this, or something very like it, in the depths of war, why should it not be possible now, so that the people in the country may be allowed to use the fruit available?
§ Mr. Willeywe have been able this year to increase the amount of sugar which the housewife enjoys.
§ Mr. Profumois the Minister aware that as things are at present country folk have to sell their fruit to manufacturers and buy it back at very much more expensive prices in the form of either preserved fruit or jam, and that the consequence will be that they will allow a lot of it to rot? In view of the rising cost of living, and the approaching General Election, does he not think that he should do something about it?
§ Mr. Deedeswill the Minister bear in mind the relationship of this problem to the point raised by the hon. Lady the Member for Coventry, South (Miss I3urton), in Question No. 9, because unless sugar is given to preserve the available fruit there will not only be a waste of fruit, but the housewife will go short in the winter?
§ Mr. Willeywe have been able to give the housewife more sugar this year, and I am sure that she will take every advantage of it.
§ 31. Mr. Turtonasked the Minister of Food whether he will discontinue the loading of sugar ordered by Persia until after the present crisis, and use the sugar so saved for increasing the domestic sugar ration.
§ Mr. F. Willeyi do not think it would be wise for me at present to add to the reply which my right hon. Friend gave to the hon. Member on 25th July. The quantities affected would not make any material difference to the sugar ration.
§ Mr. Turtonwill the Parliamentary Secretary explain why, when our citizens are being harried in Persia, we have doubled our sales to Persia compared with 1949? Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the effect of the last part of his reply would be to increase the domestic sugar ration by 4 lb. a head?
§ Mr. WilleyThe hon Gentleman is inaccurate in his estimate. As I have indicated, the effect upon the ration would be negligible. This is an incident in a much larger question, and I am sure that he would not expect me to reply further at the moment.
§ Brigadier Headhas this policy been adopted because the Foreign Secretary wants to be known among the Persians as "Sugar Ray Morrison"?
§ Mr. Molsonwhat is the quantity of sugar now being exported to Persia?
§ Mr. Willeyi will not state the amount. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why not?"] I think it would be undesirable to do so. [HON. MEMBERS: "Why?"] The amount at present involved is subject to discussions on current sales. It depends how the discussions go. I can assure the House that it is quite negligible as far as the amounts required in the rationing of this country are concerned.
§ Mr. Turtondid not the Minister tell us only last week that the amount involved was 1¾million cwt.?
§ 32. Mr. Nugentasked the Minister of Food whether, in view of the increasing availability of world supplies of sugar, he will assure this House that His Majesty's Government have not entered, and will not enter, into any negotiations involving the reduction of the volume of sugar from home-grown sugar beet and, consequently, the limitation of the acreage grown.
§ Mr. F. Willeyhis Majesty's Government have not entered into any negotiations involving a limitation of the acreage or the production of home-grown sugar beet.
§ Mr. Nugentin view of the fact that more sugar is available in the world, and that there is a prospect that at some time His Majesty's Government might try and obtain some, will the hon. Gentleman assure us that he understands that the sugar-beet crop is a pivotal crop in the husbandry of a large number of our farms, especially in East Anglia? If we can increase our imports of sugar does the Minister intend to reduce the quantities taken from home-grown sources?
§ Mr. Willeywe recognise the importance of the home-grown crop. At the same time, we recognise that whenever possible we should obtain large supplies from abroad. We do not accept present supplies as being adequate.
§ Mr. NugentThat is not quite the answer to my question. What I asked was, when we are able to obtain more from abroad will the Minister give an undertaking that he does not intend to reduce 938 the amount that he obtains from homegrown sources?
§ Mr. Willeyi can assure the House that that is not our present intention.
§ Major Legge-Bourkewill the Minister go a little further and assure the House that on no account will he consider reducing the acreage of the existing sugar-beet areas in Britain?