§ Mr. Alportasked the President of the Board of Trade why an additional sterling allotment has now been made for the import of fruit pulp, how much of this allotment will be available for the import of blackcurrant pulp and pulps of other soft fruits grown in this country; and whether he is aware of the disturbing effect which this announcement has had on the price negotiations now proceeding for the sale of this year's soft fruit crop.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftIn Notice to Importers No. 488 dated 15th April, 1952, the Board of Trade announced that the value for which import licences would be issued for the period 1st July, 1952, to 30th June, 1953, would be:
Fruit pulp (including bulk frozen fruit) other than the following varieties:
Apricot, grapefruit, peach, pear and pineapple and not containing more than 50 per cent. by weight of commercial sweetening matter, namely, sugar, invert sugar, honey, molasses, solid or liquid glucose and all similar starch conversion products (e.g. malt syrup) and any mixture of such materials:
£ (c.i.f.)
1,000,000
This announcement made no provision for the five special varieties named above.
In Notice to Importers No. 506, dated 3rd July, 1952, the Board of Trade announced that the quota for all fruit 75W pulps has now been fixed at £1,250,000 of which £500,000 will be for the five special varieties and £750,000 for other fruit pulp. These figures compare with imports in the year July, 1950, to June, 1951, estimated by the Ministry of Food at nearly £2 million, of which imports for the five special varieties accounted for some £800,000. Licences to a total value of £1 million have already been issued and additional licences to a value of £250,000 will be issued shortly.
The quota announced in Notice to Importers No. 467 dated 19th November, 1951, for imports of fruit pulps expired on 30th June, 1952, and it was necessary to make an immediate announcement to enable importers to place contracts for the current foreign crop.