HC Deb 05 April 1971 vol 815 cc10-1W
63. Mr. Arthur Lewis

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table of figures giving the approximate percentage of the United Kingdom's banana requirements which are supplied by the Commonwealth Caribbean; what duty is payable on banana imports from non-Commonwealth countries; what quantitative restrictions are imposed upon bananas originating from non-dollar sources; and to what extent countries of the Six at present enjoy special tax and quota preferences.

Mr. Noble

Bananas imported from non-Commonwealth countries are subject to a tariff of £7.50 per ton. There are no quantitative restrictions on imports from sources outside the dollar area and

UNITED KINGDOM IMPORTS OF FRESH BANANAS
('000 tons)
1967 1968 1969 1970*
Total … 347,703 340,327 351,108 330,306
of which from Caribbean Commonwealth countries … 337,828 328,019 340,383 280,691
Percentage from Caribbean Commonwealth countries … 97.2 96.4 96.9 84.9
* Provisional figures.