I move that the Bill be now read a Second Time.
The Tea (Purchase and Importation) Act, 1958, provides for the control of tea imports so as to ensure that tea is purchased in and imported direct from the country of origin by either Tea Importers (1958) Ltd. or by a registered tea trader. The Act does not apply to essences and extracts of tea, including instant tea, but the importation of these products is prohibited by the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876. For some time I have been receiving representations to have the prohibition on the importation of instant tea removed as there is a public demand for it, especially for use in tea dispensing machines. Instant tea is now being manufactured in some of the tea-growing countries and provision can be made for its importation from these countries on the same basis as leaf tea.
Under the Free Trade Area Agreement with Britain, it is necessary to remove restrictions on the importation of instant tea manufactured in Britain as it is regarded as a manufactured product. The purpose of the Bill is to remove the existing prohibition on the importation of instant tea and to make it subject to the same regulation as leaf tea, except in the case of instant tea manufactured in Britain which will be free of restriction in accordance with the Free Trade Area Agreement. The importation of leaf tea from Britain will, of course, continue to be prohibited because leaf tea is not manufactured.