§ 62. Lieut-Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that a large part of the £250 million per annum subsidy to agriculture could be eliminated if adequate protective duties were imposed on cheap competitive agricultural produce imported from overseas; and whether, in future tariff negotiations, he will make it clear to those countries concerned that this country must obtain some adequate concession in return for abolishing tariffs on agricultural produce, having regard to the financial cost of the subsidies which such a policy involves.
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§ Mr. MaudlingI cannot accept the assumption in the first part of my hon. and gallant Friend's Question which ignores the effect of higher food prices on the cost of living. In answer to the second part, I can assure him that, in tariff negotiations, it is our policy that reductions on our part must be matched by adequate concessions from other countries.