§ Mr. L. SMITHasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he has any statistics to show what will be the approximate payments to wheat growers in each county of England on account of the deficiency payments to be made by the Wheat Commission under the quota scheme; and, if so, whether he will make the figures public at as early a date as possible in order to encourage arable cultivation?
§ Major ELLIOTThe amount of the deciency payment will depend upon the average price actually obtained by regis-1172W tered growers during the cereal year ending on 31st July next for millable wheat of their own growing, not harvested before 1032, and my hon. Friend will appreciate that this price cannot be ascertained until after the close of the cereal year. It has been estimated, however, that the total payments to farmers under the Wheat Act are likely to amount in the aggregate to about £4,000,000 for the current cereal year. My hon. Friend will probably be aware that the chairman of the Wheat Commission announced last night that the Commission hope to make an advance to farmers on account of deficiency payments not later than the end of the year.