§ 29. Mr. Beswickasked the Minister of Food whether he will instruct the United Kingdom representative at the Seventh Conference of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, at present sitting in Rome, to support the proposal for a food reserve system as recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organisation Commission.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThe United Kingdom delegation has been given comprehensive instructions on this matter.
§ Mr. BeswickCan the Minister say whether these instructions are to the effect that we should support or oppose this proposal?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI regret to say that the proposition is not quite so simple as the hon. Gentleman appears to think. It is extremely complex and raises very difficult questions. Some of them we can support, but others we cannot.
§ Mr. RoyleHas the hon. and gallant Gentleman seen it reported in the week end Press that his hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary has opposed this idea? Has he any statement to make about that?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI have seen the report of the speech, but it does not quite bear out what the hon. Gentleman thinks. I repeat that the position is very complex. Certain points are being put forward which, perhaps, the Government can agree with, but there are others with which they cannot agree.
§ Mr. BeswickWould the Minister say that in principle he supports the idea of a sensible international arrangement for the disposal of surpluses rather than 1609 the present arrangement, under which the United States, for example, make surpluses available to other countries only when, in return, equivalent sums of money are spent on rearmament by the recipient country?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeIt is not as simple as that; it is extremely difficult. The matter is now under discussion by the F.A.O.and until the discussions end I cannot say what the position is.