39. Sir F. Medlicortasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the concern felt by fruit growers and merchants in this country resulting from the issue of import licences to the value of £98,000 for strawberry pulp from Poland at a time when merchants in this country have on hand considerable stocks of home-produced pulp; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LowYes, Sir. Licences for these imports were issued to avoid a possible shortage of pulp for jam making. Home supplies of strawberries for jam, most of which were sold to manufacturers some time ago, were good in 1955 but imports of strawberry pulp, on which we have always relied to supplement home production, are likely this season to be less than average. Home supplies of other soft fruit were short.
Sir F. MedlicortIs the Minister satisfied that there is sufficiently close and continuous consultation between his Department and the representatives of the merchants and fruit growers in this country to avoid these misunderstandings?