§ Mr. Staintonasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what factors he took into account when recently deciding to increase apple import quotas by 20,000 tons in respect of December, rather than the figure of 10,000 tons proposed to him.
§ Mr. GodberThe factors which the Government had in mind were that this year's apple crop in the United Kingdom has been substantially lighter than usual; that while recognising the need for home producers to secure an adequate return for this smaller crop, it is also necessary to ensure that sufficient supplies are available to the consumer; and that the 20,000 ton quota for December does, in the Government's view, strike a fair balance between the interests of producers and consumers.