§ Mr. Welshasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in view of the forecast of a future long-term sugar shortage, if he will review the present British Sugar Corporation monopoly in processing beet sugar with a view to permitting Scottish farmers to set up commercial beet factories.
§ Mr. StrangUnder the EEC sugar arrangements member States are allocated basic quotas for beet sugar production and each national Government have discretion to assign a proportion of their quota to new entrants into the beet processing industry. Anyone who had adequate financial resources and an assured supply of beet could, therefore, apply for a share of the United Kingdom quota, and the Government would have to consider any such application in the light of all relevant factors.