§ Lieut.-Colonel ACLAND-TROYTEasked the Minister of Agriculture whether 1498W he is aware that, owing to the dumping of foreign fruit-pulp, jam makers who bought English fruit last year lost large sums of money and, in consequence, are refusing to buy English fruit this year; and whether, in view of the loss to fruit growers and the unemployment which will be caused, he will take steps to prevent the importation of fruit-pulp, or to cause jam, etc., made from it to be marked?
§ Dr. ADDISONI have no information as to the circumstances referred to in the first part of the question. As regards the second part, I am not in a position, by reason of international obligations, to consider prohibition or restriction of the importation of fruit pulp, and it is not possible under the Merchandise Marks Act, 1926, to arrange for jam made from such pulp to be marked with an indication of origin. The best practicable form of assistance to home producers of fruit would be the adoption of a voluntary scheme for the application of the National Mark to jams made solely from homegrown fruit, and a suggestion to this effect has already been made by my Department to the Food Manufacturers' Federation.