§ Mr. Tilneyasked the President of the Board of Trade the minimum figure to which the import of dollar tobacco is restricted; on what basis this figure is calculated; and what is the maximum figure for sterling area tobacco and Greek and Turkish tobacco, respectively, to which imports are limited.
§ Mr. H. StraussIn view of our balance of payments, the Government's policy is to import as little dollar tobacco as is compatible with maintaining the home and export trades and keeping commercial stocks at a reasonable level. There is no fixed figure to which imports of dollar tobacco are restricted, since the amount imported in any year depends not only on the estimated volume of home and export trade but on the level of stocks and on the availability of suitable non-dollar tobaccos. Manufacturers may import from the sterling area and from Greece and Turkey as much tobacco as they wish.