§ Mr. G. LAMBERTasked the Food Controller whether he is aware that large quantities of Californian sardines in tins, bought and paid for by British importers months ago with the knowledge and encouragement of his Department, are 1944W now lying in New York incurring heavy charges and suffering the risk of deterioration; whether his Department last winter, in view of the importance of the article, proposed to take over and control these goods and prepared a scheme for this purpose, to which adhesion was given by the importers concerned; whether an embargo was placed in June last upon shipments of such goods for private account; whether such embargo was placed secretly without notice to the importers concerned; whether shipping opportunity for the goods has now been definitely refused although certain space is now and has been for several months past available; and whether the course taken has deprived the country of large quantities of cheap and desirable food, and has locked up £1,000,000 of British capital in America and inflicted a heavy loss upon British importers and upon the revenue of the country?
§ Major ASTORCertain quantities of Californian sardines and pilchards were bought and paid for by British importers, in February and March, of this year, without reference to and without the knowledge of the Ministry of Food. Subsequent to these purchases, regulations of the American War Trade Board made it necessary for exporters from the United States to present, when applying to the War Trade Board for export licences to the United Kingdom, a permit obtained from the British Licensing Authorities, the Department of Import Restrictions. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative. As part of the general arrangements for the supply of foodstuffs from the United States, it was considered desirable that Government tonnage should be provided for canned fish, which would then have been bought on Government account. The Ministry of Food were, therefore, unable to recommend licensing of imports on private account. As the needs of the American Army restricted the available tonnage, it was not found possible to include these canned fish in the official programme and the Department of Import Restrictions was thereupon requested to grant permits for these goods to come forward on private account in such chance tonnage as might be available. Owing, however, to the large quantities of miscellaneous goods dependent on such space as their only means of transport, the Department of Import Restrictions has not been able to grant the necessary permits. The Food Controller will lose no 1945W opportunity of arranging for the importation of these canned fish as soon as circumstances permit.