§ 7. Mr. SackvilleTo ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received about the price of bananas.
§ Mr. Donald ThompsonThe price of bananas is a matter for the market, but my Department receives a variety of views on the subject, depending on market circumstances.
§ Mr. SackvilleIs my hon. Friend not aware that, historically, we have paid the highest prices for bananas in Europe and have the lowest consumption, mainly because of our bilateral agreements with Jamaica and other producers? Does he not agree that if we are to go on helping our Commonwealth friends in this way by paying over the world price the responsibility should fall on our trade and aid budget and not on the household budgets of families such as mine, who are very partial to bananas?
§ Mr. ThompsonI am afraid that my hon. Friend is a month late. On 31 March we introduced a new system whereby dollar bananas would be able to be introduced to Britain at a minimum level. That system will also safeguard traditional suppliers to whom bananas are most important and for whom they are a great source of income. My hon. Friend mentioned aid. My hon. Friend the Member for Bath (Mr. Patten) made sure that the Caribbean islands received about £4 million of aid last year, plus aid from the European Community, the World Bank and the Caribbean Bank, to which we were contributors. If bananas can produce so many fast bowlers, perhaps we could have them cheaper in Yorkshire as well.