Clause 4. — (Wines.)

Part of Orders of the Day — Finance Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 22 June 1949.

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Photo of Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker , Banbury 12:00, 22 June 1949

We happen to be discussing light wines. I hope the Chancellor will not draw one of his red herrings across the subject under discussion. We are discussing light wines on which the Imperial preference has remained the same as it was before the war, I believe. In spite of increases in duty, that differential remains the same, but the cost to the consumer is such that, the taste being what it is, the Empire wine is prejudiced. I cannot see how under the present system there is likely to be any encouragement to the wine-producing industries which have grown up in the Empire and which had considerable encouragement during the last 10 years or so. I ask the Chancellor, when considering these rates, to see whether it would be possible to increase the preferential rates and thus once more give the Imperial wines sufficient differential so that they can have a better market in this country.