§ 76. Sir JOSEPH LAMBasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has yet received the figures from the brewers' society as to the increased quantity of home-grown malting barley used by brewers per standard barrel since the re- 698 duction of the Beer Duty; and, if so, whether he will state the figures?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI understand that the Brewers' Society have no returns from which the desired information can be given. As I informed my hon. Friend on 15th November, returns which the society have obtained show that up to 31st October there have been purchased for malting purposes, by those members furnishing the returns, upwards of 530,000 cwts. of home-grown barley more than were purchased by them up to the same date last year. The returns also show that brewers have drawn upon their stocks of malt made from home-grown barley to the extent of upwards of 570,000 cwts. more than were used to that date last year. The new season's malt is only now coming in for brewing purposes.