Canning Industry (Tinplate Supplies)

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 27 February 1951.

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Photo of Mr Maurice Webb Mr Maurice Webb , Bradford Central 12:00, 27 February 1951

There were, of course, points of difference between us. A mission is now on its way to Argentina, and I hope that we shall all agree that it would be inadvisable for me to say anything more about it. We have cancelled our immediate obligations to Argentina, and, as this particular matter will be the subject of further discussion, I hope we shall agree to leave it there.

The main concern expressed during the debate seems to have been about what is to happen now. What is really important, and what we should get quite clear, is that the amount of tinplate available for the home food industry this year will not be less than last year; that is, 270,000 tons. I wish it could have been more, but, in the present situation, I myself feel relieved to find that, at least, it will not be less. It is quite true that it is a tight figure; there is no margin, and it will be a hard job to allocate the quantity between all the people with canning interests in this country. But we got by last year, and I have no reason to suppose that, given the good will of the industry and the close, detailed consultations that we now have with it, we cannot get by this year as well, without undue disturbance.

Let us remember that we have additional requirements in 1951. During the present year, we must use our tinplate with these same priorities in mind. There are, first of all, the needs of the Armed Forces, which, because of defence measures, will involve the use of three times as much tinplate this year as in 1950. That is important, not only in regard to the needs of our Armed Forces, but also to increase the reserves of tinned food which they must carry in cases of emergency, and, of course, it is important to our general current stockpiling programme. Second, it is still the policy of the Government to expand exports to dollar markets as much as we can, and included in these exports are exports of tinned foods. That is a very valuable dollar-earning trade, and we still have to earn dollars. Then there are those other needs, which are causing so much concern in the House today and which, indeed, have caused so much concern in the Ministry of Food in recent months—the needs of the home market.

I myself, although I am not satisfied with all we have done, believe that on the whole we have arrived at a fair balance between all these conflicting claims on an inevitably inadequate supply. The problem in our own country is that there is a growing demand for home canned food. Even assuming that all the natural foods had been available, there is, in fact—it is one of the developments of modern life —an increasing demand for canned foods. Everything else being equal, we would have looked forward in this year to an extension of the output of home canned foods. It seems to me that, in the way the situation has developed, the position this year is likely to be as follows. We shall be able to hold the line where it is, but we shall not be able to extend or increase it to what we would have wanted or otherwise would have hoped.