§ Sir HARRY BRITTAINasked the Chancellor Of the Exchequer whether he is aware that over £40,000,000 must be paid to America and Cuba for sugar by consumers in the United Kingdom this year; and whether, in the circumstances, His Majesty's Government will consider seriously the desirability of developing the British sugar industry, so that the expenditure on sugar may pass into British hands and potential buyers of British goods?
§ Mr. BALDWINI would remind the hon. Member that it has been the policy, both of the late Government and of the present Government, to encourage the development of the beet-sugar industry in this country, and that with this end in view considerable assistance has been given to Home-Grown Sugar, Limited, by the investment of public moneys in that undertaking, and to the industry in general by the remission of the Excise Duty on sugar manufactured from homegrown beet. I would also remind him that there is a preferential rebate of one-sixth of the duty on sugar of Empire growth and consignment.