§ Mr. Charles Smithasked the Minister of Food how the sugar refining costs adjustment is calculated; what the machinery is for distributing it among sugar refiners; and what sums have been paid to the sugar refining industry in respect of this adjustment in each year since its inception, indicating what sum per cwt of refined sugar each annual payment represents.
§ Mr. StracheyThe sugar refining costs adjustment is calculated by relating current costs to pre-war costs after taking account of the effect of the level of production on overhead costs. Payment is made to individual refiners as a rate per cwt. of refined sugar produced. The costs adjustment is based on an investigation of the costs of one firm of sugar refiners. It would not, as I explained to my hon. Friend on 19th July, 1948, be in accordance with general practice to give figures which would disclose the operations of one individual concern.