HC Deb 24 March 1947 vol 435 cc131-2W
72. Mr. Randall

asked the Minister of Food in view of the good prospects of the next Argentine maize crops and the fact that stocks are lying at the ports and will inevitably deteriorate unless shipped or ventilated soon, what steps he is taking to try and get the export ban lifted and to ship some of this maize to this country.

Mr. Strachey

There is no ban on the export of maize from the Argentine but there are delays in issuing export licences for individual shipments and through congestion at the ports due largely to strikes and other labour troubles. We are naturally making every effort to ship the maize which we have purchased.