§ 57. Sir A. Hurdasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to what extent the price of United Kingdom supplies of sugar has risen in the last six months compared with the world price; and what is his current forecast of supplies from each of the main sources and the trend of prices for the coming year.
§ Mr. Scott-HopkinsOur import requirements for home consumption in 1963 are estimated at about 2 million tons. We are expecting about 1-7 million tons to be shipped to us in 1963 from members of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement. Of this, about 1½ million tons will be purchased at a fixed price of about £49 a ton c.i.f. London (about 5s. a ton above the guaranteed price in 1962). We shall also receive about 190,000 tons from South Africa and Swaziland; 150,000 tons of this is purchased at a fixed price of about £40 a ton c.i.f. London under the South African Sugar Agreement—the same price as in 1962. Supplies of sugar from members of the Commonwealth Sugar Agreement and South Africa not covered by the fixed price contracts, as well as supplies from other countries, are imported at the world price, which has risen from about £33 a ton c.i.f. London at the beginning of last December to £91 10s. a ton today. The world price of sugar is expected to remain at a rather high level during 1963, but adequate supplies should be available to meet United Kingdom consumption.