§ Mr. Hannahasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that for three weeks before the provisions of the Budget were known wholesale merchants were refusing to supply sugar to Portsmouth shopkeepers; and will he look into such an anticipation of his Budget proposals?
§ Captain CrookshankI have no information as to the action to which my hon. Friend refers, but I am not prepared to accept the assumption that such action was necessarily due to anticipation of the Budget proposals. I would remind him that it was found necessary this year for the Treasury to exercise their statutory powers to restrict clearances of sugar for some weeks before the Budget date, and this action may have resulted in some disturbance of the flow of sugar supplies.