HC Deb 27 February 1952 vol 496 cc160-1W
Mr. H. Hynd

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the fact that approximately 200,000 tortoises from Casablanca alone were imported into England during 1951 and that only 2 or 3 per cent. of those imported are able to survive an English winter, he will consider the desirability on economic and other grounds of withdrawing the present arrangement under which tortoises can be imported on an open general licence.

Mr. P. Thorneycroft

No. The import licensing powers conferred on the Board of Trade under the Import Export and Customs Powers (Defence) Act, 1939, are intended primarily to safeguard the balance of payments, and I do not think that it would be appropriate to use these powers for such a purpose.