HC Deb 29 March 1910 vol 15 cc1157-8
Mr. MORTON

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is aware that Ireland is now receiving £6,000 per annum for experimental purposes in tobacco growing in that country; and will he say why he objects to make the same sort of grant to Scotland?

Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE

As my right hon. Friend the Financial Secretary explained on the 22nd instant, questions of this kind are, in view of the passage of the Development Act of last Session, primarily for the' consideration of the Development Commission when it is constituted. I may remind my hon. Friend that the Act was not in force when the Grant-in-Aid of tobacco-growing experiments in Ireland was made.

Mr. WILLIAM REDMOND

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is not also a fact that for the last ten years extensive experiments have been made in Ireland with regard to tobacco-growing, and that a very considerable quantity has been grown there for some time, whereas, unfortunately, up to the present time hardly any has been grown in Scotland?

Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE

I know that experiments on a very large scale have been carried out in Ireland—and very successfully, I believe—but I have not yet heard of similar experiments being made in Scotland.

Sir GILBERT PARKER

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it has occurred to the Treasury to transfer the responsibility for the payment of this £6,000 to the Development Commissioners?

Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE

The £6,000 already paid will be on the Estimates for the year. Any further grants will certainly be left to the Development Commissioners.

Mr. MORTON

Is it fair to treat Scot-land differently from Ireland? Why should Scotland have to wait?

Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE

I can assure my hon. Friend that Scotland is not worse treated at all. The only difference is that Ireland has already made experiments and Scotland has not. The moment Scotland makes the experiments and applies to the Development Commissioners, if they have got money available for the purpose to encourage experiments of this kind, Scotland need not wait a day.

Mr. MORTON

The reason Scotland did not grow tobacco is that the penal laws were so strong, and the people of Scotland did not care to break the law.