§ 6. Mr. Baldwinasked the President of the Board of Trade why the import quota for Argentine apples and pears for the current year is £780,000, when the figure envisaged in the Anglo-Argentine Agreement on Trade and Payments of March, 1955, Command Paper No. 9463, is only £650,000.
§ Mr. P. Thorneycroft£780,000 is the c.i.f. equivalent of the Agreement quota of £650,000 f.o.b.
§ Mr. BaldwinIs my right hon. Friend aware that in the reply which he gave to a similar Question on 2nd February he said that this was not a matter of major importance? Has he had any further communication from the Australian Government, who look upon these increased imports as of great importance in view of their trade gap difficulties? Does not my right hon. Friend think that we should encourage the importation of Australian fruit rather than of Argentine fruit?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftI have had no communication from the Australian Government. I think there is another Question on the Paper on this subject.
§ 7. Mr. Baldwinasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the import of pears from Argentina for 1955 amounted to about 4,300 cases, whilst supplies which have now arrived, or were due by 8th March, are approximately 140,000 cases; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftImports of pears from Argentina in 1955 were very small. While I was not aware of these particular figures, they suggest that much fuller use will be made of the limited quota this year.
§ Mr. BaldwinIs my right hon. Friend aware that the increase of pears from the Argentine in the first two months of this year is enormous? In view of the difficulties of the trade gap, does he not think that he should take some steps by tariff or otherwise to restrict these imports so that we can supply these goods from the Commonwealth.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThese imports are strictly limited by quota.
§ 8. Mr. Baldwinasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make a further statement on the supply of imported fruit, particularly apples and pears; what further considerations he has given to the protest made by the Australian Government with regard to the importation of apples and pears at a landed price, which indicates unfair competition resulting from currency manipulations; and what reply he has sent.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftImports of Australian apples and pears are admitted freely and amounted to £6,500,000 in 1955; imports from all non-sterling sources are restricted. Imports from Argentina are limited to £650,000 f.o.b. this year and take place at the free exchange rate. Full information on this subject has been supplied to the Australian Government.
§ Mr. BaldwinShould we not look after Commonwealth countries in these respects and not accept fruit from the Argentine which we can supply from sterling sources or from the Commonwealth? Will not my right hon. Friend give increasing attention to the fact that the trade gap will never be decreased unless steps are taken to stop importation of goods that we can provide?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftMy hon. Friend will no doubt recognise that this is a very small proportion even of the Australian imports, and is in fact limited by quota.
§ Mr. BottomleyThe hon. Gentleman made reference to the fact that the Australian Government had been informed. Has he received any reply from that Government?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftNo, Sir, nor was one called for. I simply recorded that the facts had been made known to them.
§ Mr. BeswickIs it not a fact that many of the imports to which the hon. Member for Leominster (Mr. Baldwin) rightly objects come from the United States and are made available on condition that we manufacture an equivalent value of aircraft? Has this not had the effect not only of offending some of our Commonwealth friends but of overloading our aircraft industry?
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThat raises rather wider questions. I was dealing here only with Argentina.