§ 14. Lieut.-Colonel Liptonasked the President of the Board of Trade what control or restrictions are imposed on the 1482 imports of grain from dollar sources; and what the quantity and value of such imports have been during the past year.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftMost cereals in grain may be imported from any source without restriction as to quantity under open individual licences. Three and three-quarter million tons of these grains to a value of £98 million were imported from the dollar area during 1954.
§ Lieut.-Colonel LiptonWill the right hon. Gentleman explain what is the use of groaning about our serious balance of payments situation while we are allowing importers of grain as many millions upon millions of dollars as they want for the purpose of buying grains from dollar sources which could, very largely, be obtained from the sterling area and non-dollar sources?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftIt depends to some extent on how interested the hon. and gallant Member is in the cost of living. If he is serious about that and does want a wide market to keep it at reasonable levels, I would add that 2 million tons out of 24 million came from the great Dominion of Canada and that we are very happy to see trade flowing at that level.