§ Mr. Spearingasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what consideration he has given, consequent to the increased sugar beet quota from the EEC, to extensions of facilities for refining sugar beet in the United Kingdom; and if he will take steps to ensure that they do not duplicate the final stage in refining for which facilities already exist in cane refineries.
§ Mr. StrangThe British Sugar Corporation Ltd. has informed me of its plans for increasing beet processing capacity, but it has no obligation to seek my approval, nor do I have the right to insist on the form which the increased 395W capacity should take. There are, however, inevitable diseconomies involved in producing refined sugar from beet in two stages rather than one.