Trade And Commerce Bulb Corms And Tubers (Import) 29. Mr. G. Williams asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the quota of bulb corms and tubers to be imported during 1952. The President of the Board of Trade (Mr. Peter Thorneycroft) The quota has not yet been decided. An announcement will be made as soon as possible. 38. Mr. Baker White asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that, immediately following his cancellation of the open general licence for the importation of bulbs, corms and rhizomes, the Dutch exporters wrote to importers and other buyers in this country asking them to send in all further orders immediately, back-dated to the week prior to the cancellation of the open general licence; and what steps he proposes to take to deal with this calculated evasion of his order. Mr. P. Thorneycroft Yes, Sir. A number of importers have informed the Board of Trade that Dutch exporters have written to them in this sense. I have given instructions that applications for licences to import bulbs against outstanding contracts should be examined with particular care, and that no licences should be issued until further notice for autumn deliveries. By the end of March, however, applications to import bulbs for spring delivery amounted to only £44,000, which does not appear to be an excessive figure, considering that imports last year exceeded £4 million. Any person who makes any false statement, or furnishes any document or information false in a material particular, for the purpose of obtaining an import licence is, of course, liable to heavy penalties. Tea (Export Duties) 30. Mr. Thomas Reid asked the President of the Board of Trade what are the export duties now levied on tea exported by India, Pakistan, Ceylon and Indonesia to this country; and if, in order to reduce the price of tea in Britain, he will make representations to these countries to reduce or abolish these duties. Mr. P. Thorneycroft The current export duties on tea are as follows: India—4 annas per lb.Pakistan—3 annas per lb.Ceylon—35 cents per lb.Indonesia—Nil. I do not think that any useful purpose would be served by representations at the present time to secure the reduction or abolition of these duties. I should point out, however, that Pakistan and Ceylon have recently reduced them, and Indonesia suspended the duty of 8 per cent. as from 1st April, 1951. Mr. Reid Is it not a fact that sometimes these export duties mean that those countries are compelling the consumer of tea in Britain to contribute to their revenue? Mr. Thorneycroft Of course these export taxes are part of the fiscal policy of the countries concerned and, as such, are in the first instance primarily a matter for them. Film Quota Defaults 33. Mr. Woodrow Wyatt asked the President of the Board of Trade what is the number of members of the Quota Defaults Sub-Committee of the Films Council which advises the Films Council on the institution of prosecutions against defaulters under the Cinematograph Act, 1948; and how many of them are exhibitors who themselves defaulted in the year ending September, 1951. Mr. P. Thorneycroft Twelve of the Council's 22 members are regular members of the Defaults Committee, but any member of the Council may attend the committee's meetings. There is also a technical sub-committee of four members, including one producer, one distributor and two exhibitors of whom one is a director of an exhibiting company which at certain of its theatres did not, in the year ended 30th September, 1951, show the prescribed number of British films. On this point, I would refer the hon. Member to my reply to his Question on 20th March. I may add that in the matter of these prosecutions, the Film Council's functions are advisory and it is a matter for the Board of Trade to decide whether a prosecution should be instituted. Mr. Wyatt As the right hon. Gentleman told me previously that four of these people were themselves representing exhibitors who had defaulted under the Quota Act, will he in future take great care to disregard their advice, because the advice of people not to prosecute themselves cannot be very reliable? Mr. Thorneycroft The former answer referred to the Films Council generally; this refers to the technical sub-committee. However, I can assure the hon. Gentleman that in the question of these prosecutions the final decision is with me, and I will certainly bear in mind the point he has raised. 34. Mr. Wyatt asked the President of the Board of Trade in what places 23 cinemas belonging to the Associated British Cinema circuit failed to fulfil their quota obligations during the quota year ended September, 1951; and in which cases he proposes to institute proceedings against them. Mr. P. Thorneycroft With the hon. Member's permission, I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT a list of the theatres owned or managed by Associated British Cinemas Limited at which less than the prescribed quota of British films was shown. The company has applied in all these cases for a certificate under Section 13 of the Cinematograph Films Act, 1938, that failure to achieve the quota was due to circumstances beyond the company's control. Before determining these applications, I have a statutory obligation to consult the Cinematograph Films Council and consider their advice; this I am at present doing. Until the applications have been determined, no one can say whether or not prosecution will be appropriate in all or any of the cases. But I should in any event regard it as improper to give advance notice about whether I was proposing to prosecute in any particular case. Mr. Wyatt Can the right hon. Gentleman say whether there was any peculiar difficulty about the places in which these cinemas were situated? Does he realise that this company regularly defaults year after year and is never prosecuted, that in the year before it defaulted in 305 cinemas, and that there was not a single prosecution brought against it? Mr. Thorneycroft As to the question of whether there was particular difficulty in the location of the cinemas, that would be a matter for the court if and when a prosecution was instituted. As to the machinery laid down for investigating these cases, it was approved in the Act of 1948 passed by the hon. Gentleman's own Government. Following is the list: Theatres controlled by the A.B.C. circuit which did not show the prescribed quota ( 30 per cent.) of British first feature films in the exhibitors' quota year ended 30th September, 1951 Plaza, Basingstoke.Astoria, Aston, Birmingham.Bristol, Birmingham.Forum, Birmingham.Hippodrome, Blackpool.Grand, Westhourne, Bournemouth.Astoria, Brighton.Queens, Cardiff.Regal, Dewsbury.Capitol, Horsham.Grand, Huddersfield.Empire, Islington.Coliseum, Walton, Liverpool.Victory, Walton, Liverpool.Ritz, Luton.Don, Ancoats, Manchester.Elite, Nottingham.Hippodrome, Nuneaton.Electra, Oxford.Granby, Reading.Regal, St. Leonards-on-Sea.Imperial, Walsall.Palace, Walsall. 35. Mr. Wyatt asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will now make a statement as to the number of prosecutions it is proposed to institute in respect of quota defaults for the year ended, September, 1951. Mr. P. Thorneycroft A number of individual cases are now being examined, in consultation with the Cinematograph Films Council. I propose to prosecute in appropriate cases but obviously cannot say in advance how many there may be. Mr. Wyatt This is very encouraging news, but as there were 771 defaulters on first-feature films last year, can the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that there will be at least 100 prosecutions in respect of these defaults? Mr. Thorneycroft I think it would not be judicial of me to start prosecuting on a percentage basis. North-East Lancashire 36. Mr. H. Hynd asked the President of the Board of Trade if he will now designate North-East Lancashire as a development area. Mr. P. Thorneycroft I am aware of the problems of North-East Lancashire, but I am not satisfied that the course proposed by the hon. Member would be appropriate at the present time. Mr. Hynd Is the President of the Board of Trade aware that the local planning authorities comprising the Lancashire County Council, the County Borough of Blackburn and the County Borough of Burnley have decided that this is one of the essential steps towards doing something to help the Lancashire textile industry in its present difficulties? Does he also appreciate the advantages in the way of facilities for licences, grants, and so forth, that a simple administrative step like this would give to that district, and will he not look at this proposal again? Mr. Thorneycroft I will, of course, look sympathetically at any suggestions put forward to deal with what is a very difficult problem in that area. At the same time we ought to look a little more widely at it—whether it is technically a development area or not—and I would rather concentrate at the moment in trying to get some contracts into that area. Mr. Richard Fort Is my right hon. Friend aware that, if he will make that area into a development area, it will make it much easier for industrialists who may be bringing new industries to East Lancashire, which we urgently want, to get the licences, particularly for steel, and they cannot do that as long as that area is in its present indeterminate situation? Mr. Thorneycroft If my hon. Friend has examples of industrialists who wish to start a new industry in that area, and would like to call my attention to that matter, I shall be happy to discuss it with him. I do not think the question of whether it is a development area or not would stand in the way. Mr. Tom Brown Might I ask the right hon. Gentleman if he is not aware that one of his predecessors gave a reply in similar words when we were pleading for South-West Lancashire to be designated as a development area, and that when we brought pressure to bear upon him, he agreed? Is the Minister also aware of the immense success which was the result of the persuasive powers of hon. Members on this side of the House in making South-West Lancashire a development area? I know that the right hon. Gentleman is aware of the position in North-East Lancashire and we are anxious to help him, and one of the ways he can render help to it is by designating it as a development area. Mr. Thorneycroft I am quite ready to listen to arguments put forward upon this subject and to give them sympathetic consideration. At the same time, what is wanted is not the technical designation of an area as one category or another. What is wanted is work and the bringing of contracts into the area. It is on that rather practical aspect of the matter that I prefer to concentrate at the moment. Mr. Hynd In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the reply, I beg to give notice that I shall try to raise this matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible date. Anglo-Argentine Trade Discussions 37. Mr. William Teeling asked the President of the Board of Trade whether he has any statement to make about the progress of the Anglo-Argentine trade discussions. Mr. P. Thorneycroft The discussions on trade matters which both Governments are required to hold under the Agreement on Trade and Payments concluded with Argentina on 27th June, 1949, and the Protocol to this Agreement of 23rd April, 1951, are now being held in Buenos Aires. They have, however, so far been informal and exploratory and there is nothing which could usefully be reported to the House at the present stage. Mr. Teeling In view of the large number of Questions which have been put to the Minister of Food on this matter in recent weeks, can my right hon. Friend assure the House that the other trade matters that were very much in evidence last year are equally being taken care of this year? Mr. Thorneycroft All relevant matters are under consideration and can be raised in these discussions. Mr. Charles Royle How many representatives of private enterprise are engaged in these discussions? Mr. Thorneycroft Her Majesty's Ambassador is in charge of these discussions. Broccoli Imports 39. Mr. Baker White asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the quota of broccoli imports authorised by his Department for the period ended 31st March was exceeded by a substantial margin; and what steps he proposes to take, in view of the ample home crop, to ensure that the quota for the period commencing 1st April is not exceeded. Mr. P. Thorneycroft Yes, Sir. I would, however, like to remind my hon. Friend that it is our practice on the one hand to allow these import quotas to be exceeded when we are advised that home supplies will not be sufficient to meet the needs of the home consumer, and on the other hand to suspend imports when we are advised that home supplies are sufficient. The announced quota for the period 1st April-30th June, 1952, was 2,500 tons, subject to review in the light of supplies available from home production. As home supplies are satisfactory, I have again taken steps to suspend imports after consultation with my right hon. Friends the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Minister of Food. I am also examining with them how the present arrangements for operating these quotas can be improved. Mr. Baker White While thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask if he is aware that in the last quota period the quota was exceeded by 2,500 tons, and that when that excess was coming in both Kent and Cornish broccoli was available in large quantities but was unsaleable in the markets? May I suggest to my right hon. Friend that the way to arrange the quota is not by means of a lump figure for a long period but by so much per month? Mr. Thorneycroft While I appreciate the point raised by my hon. Friend, I think he will at least find my answer satisfactory to the extent that the quota has been suspended altogether for the period to which I referred. Mr. David Renton Is it still the policy of the Government to give home broccoli growers first place in the home market? Mr. Thorneycroft If my hon. Friend studies the answer I have given, he will see that it is the position of the home grower which determines in our minds the amount of the quota which we allow. Mr. George Brown Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the price of broccoli is still extremely high? What steps are being taken by the Minister or by his right hon. Friends in shutting out imports, to hold the prices down or to get them down lower? Mr. Thorneycroft That is a Question which should properly be addressed to my right hon. Friends. Mr. G. Brown Surely, that must have been part of the consideration which the right hon. Gentleman gave to the question. He cannot decide to shut out imports without considering the price which is ruling in the shops. He told us that he consulted his right hon. Friends the Ministers of Agriculture and Food. At those consultations, what steps did they decide to take in order to deal with the price question? Mr. Thorneycroft There are two sides to this question. There are those who want to support the growers of the home broccoli and those who, on the other hand, want adequate supplies of broccoli so that the price may be quite reasonable. Those interests are to some extent conflicting. What we do is, in consultation with my right hon. Friends, to try to hold the balance fairly and evenly between them. Mr. Awbery Is the Minister satisfied that 2s. or 2s. 6d. for a broccoli is a reasonable price in view of the fact that the quota has been exceeded and that there are ample home supplies? Mr. Philip Noel-Baker In view of what is happening to other food prices, is not the consideration advanced by my right hon. Friend very important, and ought not the Minister to consider again the prohibition of imports in order to ensure that the price is not too high? Mr. Thorneycroft All these matters are considered in weighing the amount of quota which should be allowed for any particular period. Mr. Baker White Is my right hon. Friend aware that broccoli in the shops in London today are on an average 3d. or 4d. cheaper than this time a year ago, when the other party were in power?