§ 2. Mr. Stokesasked the President of the Board of Trade the comparative prices per lb. paid for tobacco shipped from the United States of America in 1955 and 1939, respectively; and how this increase compares with the increase in the price per bottle of whisky shipped from the United Kingdom to the United States of America at the same dates.
§ Mr. LowThe average c.i.f. value per lb. of unmanufactured tobacco imported from the United States in 1955 was roughly four times and the average f.o.b. value per proof gallon of whisky exported was roughly double the corresponding 1939 average.
§ Mr. StokesDoes the Minister not think that the price we are charging for whisky is far too low? Is he aware that United States consumption of whisky is 300 million gallons a year and that we supply only 2½ per cent. of it? Scotch whisky is only a snob drink in the United States—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] I said in the United States. If we doubled the price of whisky, the price of a tot would go up by only 15 per cent. Snobs would have to continue being snobs and the volume of whisky exported to the United States would, therefore, not go down.
§ Mr. LowThe right hon. Gentleman is himself a manufacturer and knows how to get the best price for his products. I have no doubt that whisky producers know how to get the best price for their product.
§ Mr. StokesThat is not the point. The Board of Trade continually evades this. It is perfectly obvious to everybody who studies the figures that prices generally increased by three times and yet these 819 brilliant Scotch distillers get only 10 per cent. more for whisky. Will the right hon. Gentleman take over the export of whisky to make sure that we get a proper price in dollars for our exports?
§ Mr. LowThe answer to the last part of the supplementary question is "No." I must ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has ever met a Scotsman who sells something at a price lower than he can get for it?