17 and 18. Mr. Baker Whiteasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) why the permitted imports of foreign strawberries in the period 1st June, 1952 to 31st December, 1952, have been raised from £65,000 to £165,000; and when the decision was taken to make this change;
(2) what consultations his Department had with the representatives of British strawberry growers before raising the permitted imports of foreign strawberries from £65,000 to £165,000 in the period 1st June, 1952 to 31st December, 1952; and what steps were taken by his Department to make this change known to the horticultural Press.
§ 24. Sir H. Roperasked the President of the Board of Trade why his decision to raise the import quota of foreign strawberries for the period 2nd June to 31st December from £65,000 to £165,000 was not, in accordance with usual procedure, published in the Board of Trade Journal.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftThe additional £100,000 for strawberries is intended to reduce the hardship which our import cuts will inflict on a locality in France which is economically dependent on a crop of strawberries grown specially for the United Kingdom market. The total quota for strawberries in the last seven months of 1952 is, nevertheless, much smaller than the quota provided for June and July, 1951, before severe restrictions were imposed on imports. In these circumstances, no formal consultations were held with representatives of United Kingdom strawberry growers. The decision was communicated to the French Government, in response to representations which they had made to us, on 15th April, 1952. The global quota was published on the same day.
Mr. Baker WhiteWill my right hon. Friend consult with the Minister of Food in order to ensure that these strawberries go to the Northern market as well as the 13 Southern market, so that there may be equal distribution of imported and home strawberries over the whole country?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI will convey that point to my right hon. Friend.
§ Mr. A. Edward DaviesWill the right hon. Gentleman, while ensuring that the growers have reasonable prices, see that there is a sufficiency of supplies so that the industrial towns in the North, as the hon. Member for Canterbury (Mr. Baker White) has said, can get strawberries at a reasonable price?