§ 50. Sir J. Langford-Holtasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether he will take steps to encourage each person to buy 2s. 6d. worth more of home-grown food and 2s. 6d. worth less of imported food as a means of saving £200 million on food imports.
§ Mr. John MackieThe Government's general policy on "buying British" was given in an Answer by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Chigwell (Mr. Biggs-Davison) on 25th October last.
So far as foodstuffs are concerned, we naturally hope that consumers will buy home-grown food wherever it is comparable in price and quality with food from overseas. The Annual Review determinations we announced last week were, of course, designed to encourage British farmers to supply more of the food we want, on competitive terms.
§ Sir J. Langford-HoltWould the hon. Gentleman give further consideration to the possibility of a publicity campaign because this is one sphere in which a policy of exhortation would probably be effective?
§ Mr. MackieThe publicity campaign which the hon. Gentleman envisages would, I think, be the concern of the various marketing boards and other bodies. We can take the example of how the Danish bacon importers do it. The 1711 general policy is that which the Prime Minister put forward recently
§ Mr. GodberSince the hon. Gentleman talks of example, will he ask the Chairman of the Kitchen Committee to ensure that the Catering Department buys English eggs and not Danish eggs as it has been doing recently?
§ Mr. MackieI will draw my hon. Friend's attention to that remark.