Mr. SANDEMAN ALLENasked the Minister of Agriculture whether the 2219W stipulation contained in the Sugar (Subsidy) Act, 1925, that 75 per cent. of the machinery installed in beet-sugar factories should be of British manufacture has been waived in respect of any factory erected during 1925 and 1926; if so, in respect of which factories has the stipulation been waived; and what amount of foreign machinery has been imported for installation in those factories, naming the country of origin of such imported machinery?
Mr. GUINNESSThe beet-sugar factories erected in 1925 or now in course of erection in regard to which the 75 per cent. machinery Clause has been waived are the Ely and Ipswich factories, for the reason given on 15th June, 1925, by my predecessor in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, namely, that the enforcement of the 75 per cent. condition in respect of three new factories promised by the Anglo-Dutch group would be a serious breach of faith having regard to the extensive commitments entered into by the group before the decision to impose the machinery condition was proposed. As stated on that occasion, the approximate value of the foreign machinery to be imported for the Ely and Ipswich factories was £84,000 and £105,000 respectively, and the origin mainly Dutch with some German.