Orders of the Day — Agricultural Marketing Bill.

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at on 9 February 1931.

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Photo of Viscount  Wolmer Viscount Wolmer , Aldershot

I believe that that is quite true, but I was calling the right hon. Gentleman's attention to the fact that last year, 1930, I believe for the first time, we had an importation in the autumn of a number of consignments of German potatoes at appreciably lower prices than those at which potatoes were selling in this country. I quite agree that the importation of main-crop potatoes at the present moment is negligible, but I do not know of any reason for believing that that state of things is going to continue permanently, and, if you had a marketing board that was able to stabilise the price of potatoes at, say, £5 a ton—which would still let the consumer have them at ld. per lb. and leave a very good profit for the retailer—what justification does this Bill give for thinking that there would not at once be a great flood of foreign potatoes whenever there was a glut in foreign countries?