§ Mr. Thorneasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the shortage of 480,000 tons of sugar to meet the requirements of Great Britain; whether the International Sugar Council has now agreed to re-allot 239,000 tons to those countries which reduced their quotas in July, 1938, of which amount 80,000 tons will be available for Great Britain; and whether the Government urged an increase in the permitted exports of British Colonies of 153,205 tons?
§ Mr. StanleyAt their recent meeting, the Executive Committee of the International Sugar Council estimated that the export quotas approved last July for the current quota year were 480,000 tons below probable world requirements. As I informed the House on Tuesday last, the Council last week approved the immediate addition of 239,000 tons to the quotas of countries which reduced their quotas in July, and decided to meet on 13th June to consider the allocation of a further 153,000 tons to British countries. As the quotas are world export quotas,2528W it is not possible to forecast the proportion either of the shortage which would have occurred on this market had no action been taken or of the 239,000 tons which will come to this country. As regards the last part of the question, the United Kingdom delegation to the International Sugar Council were represented on the Executive Committee which recommended the allocation of 153,000 tons of additional quotas to the British colonies and dominions which export sugar.