§ 4. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will seek to terminate the statutory monopoly privileges of the British Sugar Corporation.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Mr. Anthony Stodart)Yes Sir, if it were in the national interest to do so, in the light of a specific proposition.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneI am grateful to my hon. Friend for that answer, so far as it goes. I urge him to press on with this. In the meantime, will he reconsider the rejection by his right hon. Friend of my suggestion that the Government should disembarrass themselves of their holding in the corporation? If, as I hope we shall, we are soon to get shot of the monopoly privileges of the Corporation, surely there can be no justification for the retention of the Government's shareholding? Let us get rid of both, and the sooner the better.
§ Mr. StodartIt is perfectly possible to terminate the statutory monopoly privileges while still retaining a Government interest.
§ Mr. StrangWill the hon. Gentleman give the House an assurance that he will not allow the corporation to build a new factory in East Anglia, having closed down one in Scotland?
§ Mr. StodartIt is the policy of the corporation to increase the size of its factories in order to get more efficient throughput.