§ 20. Mrs. Mannasked the President of the Board of Trade what representations he has had, and by whom, to cut imports of fruit and tomatoes; what decisions he has made; and what effect on fruit and tomato prices will ensue from his decisions.
§ Mr. P. ThorneycroftI have received representations on these points from certain hon. Members. Imports of most classes of fresh fruit have already been very severely restricted for balance of payments reasons. In view of the severity of these import cuts, it has been agreed, with the concurrence of the National Farmers' Union, that no special seasonal restrictions are necessary for imports of these fruits during the period of the main home crop. In the particular case of tomatoes, I am still considering with my right hon. Friends the Ministers of Agriculture and Food whether the state of the home market makes any alteration necessary in the import quota previously announced.
It is not possible to estimate the effect of these import restrictions on prices, but I would remind the hon. Member that, mainly because of the heavy home crop, wholesale prices of fruit in general are appreciably lower than last year.