HC Deb 06 May 1952 vol 500 cc14-5W
72. Mr. Benn

asked the President of the Board of Trade the estimated annual saving due to the cancellation of the import licences for importing fondant sugar from the Continent announced last November.

Mr. Hopkinson

Imports of fondant from Western Europe during the calendar year 1951 are estimated by the Ministry of Food to have cost £8 million. Licences have been issued for imports from Western Europe for the eight-month period 1st November, 1951, to 30th June, 1952, to a total value of £1.2 million and a quota of £750,000 has been announced for the six-month period 1st July, 1952, to 31st December, 1952. These figures are not strictly comparable with those of the estimated imports in 1951, since the licences and the quota cover also certain ton-sterling countries outside Europe; but imports from these countries are expected to be small.