§ 21. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the imports of Italian apples for the five months ended 31st May, 1957, exceeded those of the comparable period in 1956 by 5,600 tons; and what steps he is taking to ensure that the quota is not again exceeded in the full year, in view of the value of these imports already being £100,000 worth in excess of the comparable figure last year.
§ Sir D. EcclesThere is no separate quota for Italian apples. They are imported under a quota which applies generally to countries in Western Europe and most other non-dollar countries outside the Sterling Area. The quota was in fact under-used by more than £150,000 in 1956, and the second part of my hon. and gallant Friend's Question does not, therefore, arise.
§ Major Legge-BourkeWhilst fully appreciating the point made by my right hon. Friend about the O.E.E.C. countries being covered by the quota and not Italy separately, may I ask him to bear in mind that there is a very serious aspect of this matter in that the volume goes on increasing although the monetary quota stays the same? Could he so devise some way by which we should limit the volume each year rather than basing it purely on the value?
§ Sir D. EcclesI will look at that.
§ 22. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the President of the Board of Trade why, despite the monetary quota for imports of apples from the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation countries having been set at £3 million in both 1954 and in 1956, the volume of such imports has increased by nearly 25 per cent. in both the January to June and the July to December periods; and what action he proposes taking to safeguard the British grower, bearing in mind that the official wholesaler-to-retailer prices for 1956 show that the value of Italian apples alone exceeded £4 million on the home market.
§ Sir D. EcclesThe volume of imports appears to have increased because the quota has been more fully used and there has been a bigger proportion of cheaper apples. I do not think that the published wholesale prices for 1956 justify the conclusion which my hon. and gallant Friend draws from them, and I have no reason to believe that the value limit of £3 million under the quota was exceeded.
§ Major Legge-BourkeIs my right hon. Friend aware that there is considerable concern amongst British growers that the quota is being abused? Will he make it quite clear to importers that if it is abused the quota will be reduced in subsequent years?
§ Sir D. EcclesI have no evidence of under-invoicing, but if my hon. and gallant Friend would like to bring any to my notice, I will look at it. If the quota is exceeded, we shall certainly have to take appropriate action.
§ 23. Major Legge-Bourkeasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the value and quantity of imported apples has risen from 143,350 tons at a cost of £10,997,662 in 1954 to 189,037 tons at a cost of £14,240,962 in 1956; and whether, in view of the fact that United Kingdom growers have, with Government encouragement, recently increased their production, he will state what is now his policy on this matter.
§ Sir D. EcclesYes, Sir. Nearly a third of the increase was due to higher imports under the open general licence from sterling Commonwealth countries and the balance mainly to imports from Canada and the United States of America which were not resumed until late in 1954. It remains the Government's policy to place no restrictions on imports of apples from Commonwealth countries in the sterling area. Those from other areas continue to be restricted by quotas.
§ Major Legge-BourkeWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that as a result of encouragement given by Government after Government since the war, and particularly by the Government of 1945–50, home growers increased their production and a great many trees were planted in that period which are now coming into full fruit? It is, therefore, important, in order to implement the Tory Party's pledge to the growers, that he should see that non-Commonwealth imports are kept under very careful supervision.
§ Sir D. EcclesYes, Sir. We are constantly under pressure to increase these quotas and we have not yielded to that pressure.
§ Mr. W. R. WilliamsIs the Minister aware that if the orchards in the constituency of the hon. and gallant Member for the Isle of Ely (Major Legge-Bourke) are as bare of apples as is my garden, we shall need all the apples we can get from overseas?