§ Q1. Mr. Stonehouseasked the Prime Minister if he is satisfied with the coordination between the Department of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on the regulation and control of food imports and prices and the implementation of Commonwealth food programmes.
§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Edward Heath)Yes, Sir.
§ Mr. StonehouseIn view of the unprecedented rise in the cost of food during the past 12 months, which is made worse by the Price Commission's announcement yesterday of further rises caused partly by the creeping devaluation of the pound, will the Prime Minister take action on the Commonwealth front to ensure an increase in the production of grains and proteins, of which there is a world shortage, and will he perhaps raise this matter at the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference? Secondly, what does the Prime Minister intend to do to honour the pledge which he made to allow sugar producers in the Commonwealth to export their sugar to the EEC in view of the serious statement made yesterday by the French Minister of Agriculture?
§ The Prime MinisterThe Commonwealth producers are free to increase their cereal production as much as they wish. 251 and they know perfectly well that, in the present condition of world markets, whatever they can produce will be required. No instructions or discussion in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference are needed to deal with that. The Commission has put forward its proposals on sugar which will meet the case, and we have no doubt that we shall achieve our objectives.
§ Mr. JayAfter yesterday's extraordinary speech by the French Minister of Agriculture on sugar, does the Prime Minister still regard as reliable the safeguards for the Commonwealth sugar producers in the Treaty of Accession?
§ The Prime MinisterYes, Sir. I am not responsible for the speech of the French Minister of Agriculture.