HC Deb 20 October 1952 vol 505 cc47-9W
8. Mr. Osborne

asked the Minister of Food if he has considered the proposal of Ceylon's Food Minister that the United

New Zealand and Argentina. We have agreed a general increase with New Zealand of 12½ per cent. for the 1952–53 season and an increase of 16.6 per cent. on mutton and lamb from Australia. Prices for beef from Australia and of meat from Argentina are at present under discussion, and I am not yet in a position to make a statement.

The prices to be paid under agreements made during the past six months and those paid during the preceding period are:

season are given below. The quantities for 1952–53 are dependent upon climatic and other conditions during the season but they are expected to exceed the quantities shipped during the 1951–52 season:

Kingdom should stop consuming rice and should dissuade European countries also from buying it, in order to help the Asian countries whose basic food is rice; and what steps he has taken in this connection.

Major Lloyd George

Her Majesty's Government fully realise the difficulties of Eastern countries arising from the present rice position and are doing their utmost to help them. But even if we were to forego the relatively small quantities of rice we are at present using we would have no means of ensuring that these would be bought by Asian countries. There are many other countries who would take up what we did not buy and whom we could not influence.