§ MR. HENEAGE (Great Grimsby)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether there is at the present moment any Minister who is personally responsible for the charge of the interests of agriculture; and when. it is the intention of the Government to make arrangements for the presence of a responsible Minister in the House of Commons, in accordance with the practice in previous Administrations since the establishment of a Committee of Agriculture at the Privy Council Office in 1882; and, whether he will state the names and official position in the Government of the members of the present Committee of Agriculture, and whether they were selected on account of their special knowledge of agricultural questions, or for other reasons?
§ SIR E. BIRKBECK (Norfolk, E.)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury when he will introduce the long promised measure for the constitution of a fully equipped Department of Agriculture, such as has been recently pressed on the Prime Minister by a deputation from the Central Chamber of Agriculture?
§ *MR. W. H. SMITHThe Lord President of the Council is personally responsible for the charge of the interest of agriculture, and the Department is at present represented in this House by my noble Friend the Member for Lewisham (Viscount Lewisham). The following are the names of the Members of the Committee of the Privy Council for Agriculture:—The Lord President of the Council, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, the Earl of Lathom, Viscount Lewisham, the Home Secre- 1245 tary (Mr. Matthews) and the Secretary for Scotland. Some of these gentlemen were selected on account of their special knowledge of agricultural questions, others in virtue of the offices they hold. I hope to introduce the Agricultural Bill on Thursday or Monday next.