§ 52. Mr. C. BATHURSTasked the Prime Minister whether, in view of the prospective world-shortage of wheat and other cereal grain in 1915–16, and the consequent uncertainty of its adequate supply to these Islands from overseas during next winter and the following spring, the Government propose to offer any guarantee as to price or other financial inducement to British farmers to sow increased areas of oats, wheat, or barley during the next few weeks?
§ The PRIME MINISTERI am informed that farmers are doing their utmost, in spite of adverse conditions of weather and a shortage of labour, to increase their acreage of cereals, and that they require no special inducement to do what they know will be both advantageous to the country and also profitable to themselves.