LORD HAWKEasked Her Majesty's Government whether they will instruct their representatives at the forthcoming International Sugar Conference to preserve the right of our Colonial sugar growing islands to offer as much sugar to the United Kingdom as they may be capable of growing in the future.
§ THE EARL OF MUNSTERThe export of sugar from the Colonial sugar growing territories, like that from Australia and South Africa, is governed by the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement, 1951. This Agreement includes a provision that in any international Agreement which may subsequently be concluded, the Commonwealth's export quota will be a single quota of not less than 2,375,000 long tons. The object of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement was to increase the supply of sterling sugar to the United Kingdom, and the Colonial exporters agreed to expand their exports to 1,575,000 tons. Of this quantity about two-thirds is sold to the United Kingdom at a fixed price which is negotiated annually and the remainder, namely, about one-third of the total export, is sold at the world price and attracts United Kingdom or Canadian preference.
946WABefore and since the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement was signed in 1951 the production of sugar in the Colonies has been steadily increased, but it is estimated this year that the Colonial territories will still be about 100,000 tons short of the quota set up under the 1951 Agreement. The noble Lord will know that the International Sugar Conference has already opened in London and is seeking to conclude an International Sugar Agreement to replace that of 1937. I would not wish to speculate on what will happen in the future as the quota clauses in the proposed international Agreement are now under negotiation.
The United Kingdom delegation includes representatives nominated by the Governments of the British West Indies, British Guiana, Mauritius and Fiji and therefore decisions affecting the export of Colonial sugar will be taken in full consultation with them. I regret that I could not publicly announce the instructions which Her Majesty's Government have given to their representatives for it would cause considerable embarrassment to them in the middle of the Conference, but I can give an assurance that Her Majesty's Government would not be willing to enter into any international Agreement which did not fully safeguard Colonial sugar producers in accordance with the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement of 1951.