§ 4. Mr. Farrasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the total tonnage of maize imported in 1955 and in the latest available year.
§ Mr. HoyThe total tonnage of maize imported was 1.5 million tons in 1955 and 3–4 million tons in 1964.
§ Mr. FarrIn view of this startling increase in the importation of maize, which has almost doubled in 10 years, will the hon. Gentleman and his right hon. Friend amend the arrangements whereby they imposed savage price cuts 1624 upon our coarse grain producers and try instead to economise in the production of maize, at the same time saving foreign currency, which is badly needed?
§ Mr. HoyThe hon. Member had better face the fact that what was done in the Price Review was in conformity with an international agreement that w0as entered into by the Government of his party.
§ Mr. StodartCan the hon. Gentleman say how much of this imported maize is used for feedingstuffs and how much is used to adulterate a product called Scotch whisky?
§ Mr. HoyI cannot answer the last part of the question about whether the whisky is adulterated. I have often heard it said that there are certainly a lot of very good whiskies but no bad ones. In reply to the first part of the question, animal feeding requirements have risen by 3¼ million tons since 1955.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsWould not the Joint Parliamentary Secretary agree that there was no reason in the international agreement why the Government had to make the maximum cut this year on cereals?
§ Mr. HoyWhat I am saying—and the hon. Gentleman cannot evade it—is that the agreement was entered into by the Government of which he was a member and that we were bound by international agreement to take certain action in the event of certain limits being reached.